Pretty Cure Zodiac
by Queen Authoress 'Starcy' Hand
Summary: The majority of the powers of the constellations have been stolen by a woman wanting to destroy the Real World. Queen Starcy sends a couple of fairies to go out and find those that can wield the powers of the remaining constellations and rebuild the Pretty Cure Zodiac.
1. Start with a Clear Shot, Sagittarius!

"Augh!"

A small, blue ram fairy was slammed into the stone wall, the poor structure cracking upon impact. A hand reached out and grabbed around her throat. She struggled to breathe as a woman in violet, Victorian-style wear leaned in, glaring at her while everything not made of stone burned around them.

"I shall ask again," the woman told her. The ram shivered, her voice like ice claws being ran down a chalk board, making that horrible screeching noise as the claws left indentations on it. "Where are the sacred powers to the Star Tribes?"

"I-I'll… never tell… you, ari…" the poor ram struggled to say. The lady tightened the hold on her neck, making the poor thing started choking all the more.

"S-stop, umi."

The woman turned to see a small, panda bear fairy with yellow fur instead of black and a light pink dove fairy with feathers fashioned to look like a poofy hairstyle. Both were huddled up together in the corner, scared of what the woman would do to them if she turned her wrath onto them. She smirked at them, holding the fairy she had in her hand to her side.

"Tell me where the sacred powers are and I'll let this little fairy go," the woman threatened them. For show, she squeezed the poor fairy's throat even tighter.

"U-under the throne, col!" the dove quickly told her. "Queen Starcy hid them there, col!"

The woman smiled in glee. She threw the fairy over to the others before quickly making her way there. As the two fairies made sure the third was alright, she blasted the throne with a wave of her hand. As the smoke cleared, she descended the steps to the area below the throne. There, she gave a wicked grin at the sight of everything. Before her was an underground room filled to the brim with pedestals on them. On the pedestals were bright lights of many different colors. She pointed the tip of her umbrella at all of the lights. The lights started coming towards her, congregating at the tip of her Victorian umbrella.

A yell was then heard throughout the entirety of the castle, then footsteps. The sounds of heels clicking on the stone floor started becoming louder and louder at a very rapid pace until another woman showed up. She was wearing a sleeveless gold dress that puffed out around the hips, beautiful brown hair being held in place with her golden crown atop of her head, and a golden star floating just above her left hand. The fairies noticed that she looked super mad at the intruder.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" Queen Starcy yelled at the intruder.

"My name is Camerina and I think I just took enough power to destroy the Real World," she smiled. Before the ruler could stop her, she snapped her fingers and teleported out of the room. The queen squeezed her fist in pure anger. She quickly turned her angry gaze onto the fairies. The two that weren't injured flinched.

"One of you explain to me how she found the secret room now…" Starcy demanded from the fairies, leaving it to their imaginations what would happen otherwise. The panda and the dove started shaking like leaves, not wanting to say anything to upset her.

"L-Luna blabbed, ari," the ram ratted out the dove after recovering from her attack.

"O-only because Comet got that lady's attention, col!" the dove pointed to the panda.

"B-because that woman was going to hurt Galaxy, umi!" the panda gestured to the ram.

Queen Starcy sighed in irritation. She looked back out into the room. "Galaxy, Luna, Comet, look at that," she told all of them. The three looked at the room to see only two glowing lights left. "I've been gone for years at a time without problems before but being in my room, getting ready for the day is what gives the enemy enough time to get in here and take almost everything." She turns back to the fairies. "You're lucky the Columba and Ursa Minor powers escaped capture and you didn't blab to her the location of the Zodiac Keys or we would've been in a lot more trouble."

"The Zodiac Keys, umi?" Comet asked. "They exist, umi?!"

"That will be your new assignment," Queen Starcy told the two fairies. "Galaxy, you did this last time, please go with them and help them with what needs to be done: you know exactly what to do."

"Yes, your majesty, ari," the fairy replied. The queen held her star in front of a wall. An intricate pattern appeared on it, glowing bright gold before the wall receded away and revealed something that made the dove and panda fairies eyes widen in fascination.

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

June 6th, 2011.

That's the day Comet and Luna arrived in the Real World for the first time. However, their trip to this new place was not a pleasant one.

As the two fairies walked out of the golden, star-shaped vortex provided to them by Queen Starcy, they looked around, seeing the blueness of the world around them.

"It's a lot bluer than Galaxy made it out to be, umi," Comet commented.

"Uh, Comet, col," Luna got his attention. He looked up at her as she pointed down with her wing. He looked underneath his paws to see the ground very far underneath of him.

"Uh oh, umi," he said before screaming at the top of his lungs, freefalling towards the ground below.

"Comet, col!" Luna dove down and grabbed onto the scruff of Comet's neck. She flapped her wings as hard as she could to try and slow down his fall, but was failing miserably.

"Someone help, umi!" Comet yelled as loudly as he could, shutting his eyes as tightly as he could.

However, it was all in vain as Comet landed harshly on the ground. Luna went flying away from him, bouncing a couple of times on the ground. She got back up to her feet, in some pain but in a lot better shape than Comet. Because of his magical origin and Luna's help, he didn't die, but he was in bad shape. He had a lot of bruises on him from the fall and he was in a bunch of pain judging from all the pained moans coming from the unconscious panda.

"Someone help, col!" Luna yelled as loudly as she could. There were trees everywhere and it was especially bad when going up the nearby, steep hill. She tried flying into the air, but there was a sudden pang in her left wing. It was so painful that she had to ouch down onto the ground. She cupped her wing and screamed for help again.

"Hold on!" a female voice yelled from up the hill. "I'm coming!"

Luna looked towards the trees and saw a teenage human coming from behind the trees. She was wearing normal, summertime exercise clothes. Her long brown hair swayed in her pony tail and her brown eyes widened at the sight of the two fairies behind her pink glasses. She quickly ran over towards them, kneeling down right in front of Luna.

"Are you alright?" she asked the pink dove, kneeling down closer to her height.

"I'll be fine, but Comet is hurt, col" Luna told her. She hopped over to the panda. The human teenager moved over to the bear. She gasped from the sight of all of his injuries. She scooped the panda bear into her arms. She then put out her hand for Luna and allowed her to perch on her shoulder.

"Hang on," the human told her. She started to climb the hill back up to the road with relative ease. There was no mode of transportation Luna looked down at Comet. He wasn't looking very good, but this human was her only chance to help her friend. "We're not far from my home. Do you think your friend can hang on until then?"

"Yes, col," Luna told the human. The human started jogging down the road. Luna hoped that everything would be okay.

* * *

Comet's was in a bit of pain when he woke up. He looked around to see that he was now in a bedroom. This bedroom and the furniture inside of it was too big to belong to a fairy's. It was also decorated in video game posters, something nobody he knew did.

"Comet, col!" Luna jumped to his side. He noticed that her wing was in a little sling that was just the right size for her. "How are you feeling, col?"

"In pain, umi," he replied. He turned away from her to see his reflection from a giant mirror. He had bandages wrapped around his head, his torso, and three of his four joints. "Where are we, umi?"

Luna then proceeded to explain everything that had been going on in the last few hours. How a teenage, female human had found them and took them to her home and got them bandaged up. This made Comet think.

"Didn't Queen Starcy say that humans would be scared to see us talk, umi?" he asked.

"Yeah, she did, col," she realized. "So why didn't this human freak out, col?"

"Because you're not the first out-of-this-world beings I've met," a voice told them. Both fairies jumped at the voice of the human. She smiled at them, holding a tray of food in front of her that consisted of bread and tomato soup. She set it down in front of both of the fairies before sitting down herself. "My name is Rose. Rose Stevens. Luna told me most about what's going on, Comet."

A shocked and angry expression spread across the fairy's face. Why in the world did Luna tell this human all about their predicament?! This human more than likely had nothing to do with this! She didn't need to know about the war that was starting up again!

"Comet, she already knew about other worlds before I told her, col," Luna told him. Comet looked over to the dove.

"A giant monster attacked a city and almost destroyed it about six months ago," Rose told him. Comet looked up at the human. "There was a group of people from other worlds that stopped it. Officially, no one knows why or how it happened…" She then got up. "Anyways, it's just my older brother and me right now and this place is pretty big, so I don't think he'll find you. Go ahead and eat." She then left the room, most likely to make sure her brother doesn't suspect anything, Comet suspected.

This new information ran through Comet's mind. Humans in this world already knew about monsters? "This might make it harder, umi," he decided out loud.

"Or maybe easier, col," Luna said. "And Galaxy has already done this before, col. She's out there already looking for Pretty Cure, col. We have to make sure that she doesn't do everything alone, col."

"But where did she go, umi?" Comet asked. Luna just shrugged her shoulders in reply as she started pecking at the bread she was given. Comet quickly followed suit, lapping up the soup.

* * *

The next day, a blue haired, fourteen year old girl was walking through the crowd of people. Her blue eyes looked all over the place, searching for something that was oblivious to the people around. She was about to cross the street with some strangers when it happened.

A person started screaming out in pain, collapsing to the ground, clutching his heart. People that were around him ran up to him to ask him if he was alright. As the people near yelled at each other of what to do and everyone else around him was talking about what could have happened to him, the girl saw the black aura that was coming from his heart, taking over his body.

"What's happening to him?!" a woman screamed. Everyone watched and started running away as the man transformed into a giant, crow-like creature. It radiated pure evil from it. It cawed, spreading its wings wide. The nearby buildings were crushed into, sending debris down to the streets below. While the people around it continued to run away, the bluenette walked up towards the giant, crow monster.

"KUROIHOSHI CORVUS!" the crow cawed, rumbling everything around it.

"You poor man," the girl said. She held up a pair of old fashioned keys – one bronze and one silver – on a giant key ring. "I'll save you." She pulled the bronze key off of the ring.

* * *

"So where would we find your friend?" Rose asked as they started walking around the town, this time wearing a simple white t-shirt and blue jean capris along with a shooting star necklace and the glasses she wore yesterday. There were people walking around as well, making it harder to find the fairy they were looking for.

"Don't know, umi," Comet told her, riding in Rose's arms. "Galaxy could be anywhere, umi."

"There's a Kuriohoshi up ahead, col!" Luna yelled to Comet, her wing healed enough to fly around. "Humans are running away, col!" Comet leaped out of Rose's arms and started running the opposite direction of the humans.

"Hold up!" Rose yelled after him. She ran after him.

"Rose, col!" Luna flew after the human. After flying behind her a couple of blocks, the dove saw the human's reaction to the giant crow attacking the city. She then saw something she didn't see before.

There was a girl fighting against the crow. She couldn't have been any older than fourteen. She has on a sky blue skirt with the top part around the waist covered in white wool. She had on a short, sky blue parka that also had wool going around her shoulders. It was short enough to reveal her stomach. She had on short, blue, biker shorts and a same colored top underneath the parka. She also wore high heels that were a beautiful shade of blue. Ribbons of the same color wrapped up her legs crossing over in the front four times before tying off at the top with a white ribbon with the gold symbol of a constellation pinning it together. She had on thin, white arm warmers that went up to her elbows. She had a bracelet of blue beads on each of her wrists. There was a big ring that had two, large keys - one bronze, one silver - on it on her right hip. An outline of a golden star with a stylized Z overlapping it was pinned on the wool on the left side of her chest. She had a sky blue choker around her neck. She wore gold, dangling star earrings and a simple, golden circlet. On the circlet was a little, oval medallion dangling off of it. On it was an engraved star with the symbol of a constellation on top of it. Her hair was sky blue – as were her eyes – and went straight down to the middle of her back.

"It can't be, col…" Luna said out loud, flying down to be with Comet. They watched as the girl kept dodging attack after attack before countering with a punch of her own.

"Cure Aries, umi…" Comet said out loud. "I had only seen her in the history books, umi."

"Did you say Cure?" Rose asked the two. Both fairies looked up at her. "As in Pretty Cure?" She looked back up to the Cure and then back to Luna. "You didn't tell me this part!"

"You didn't need to know, col!" Luna yelled back as Rose looked over her shoulder. Why was-

"Watch out!" Rose suddenly threw herself over Luna and Comet. A giant wing slammed into her, throwing her into a nearby building.

"Rose!" the two fairies cried out. They ran and flew over respectively. The girl blocked an attack, looking over at where the fairies were.

"Are you alright, umi?" the panda asked. Rose seemed slow to get out of her temporary lapse of consciousness.

"Are you two… alright?" she asked the two fairies.

Suddenly, the crow flew over the girl and tried to claw at Rose and the two fairies. The fairies screamed for their lives, cowering into Rose.

"Aries Barrier!"

The girl that was fighting the monster appeared in front of the group. A somewhat see-through, sparkly, sky blue barrier appeared in front of her outstretched hand. The fairies were immediately impressed, but Rose seemed to still be recovering from her run in with the wall, not seeming as impressed.

"Did either of you notice anything about the keys?" the girl asked.

"The keys, umi?" Comet asked as he looked into the pocket space behind his back. He took out one pair of keys that were similar to the girl's and was surprised to see that the two tips were glowing with a bright pink light.

"Wh-what's going on, col?!" Luna asked the girl. "Why are they glowing, col?!"

"Give them to the human; she's one of the chosen!" she replied. The barrier started cracking under the pressure. "Hurry!"

"Rose, col!" Luna gave the keys. "C'mon, col! Pull yourself together, col!" Rose looked at the dove, then at the keys that were now in her hands.

"Hurry up and transform with the bronze key!" the girl yelled at her again. "You'll know what to do!" Before the barrier could completely crack, she pushed it out, pushing the giant, mutant crow back with it. She jumped forward, throwing a roundhouse kick at it as she did so. The giant crow crashed into a building, struggling to get back up. Rose suddenly gasped, looking at the girl and then at the keys in her hand.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said to no one in particular. Everyone didn't know what she meant by that. Rose then stood up and pulled the bronze key off of the ring. She threw the remaining key and the big, gold ring it was connected to in the air. It spun rapidly until it suddenly became a pink, magical array in front of her – a circle outside with a star outline inside of it with the outline of one of the constellations inside of the star. Rose held up the key next to her face.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" She pushed the key into the array. A keyhole appeared where she has placed it – right in the center. "Star Power!" She turned the key. The array broke apart into many pieces.

"Amazing," the two fairies said at the same time.

Rose looked amazed as well. She placed her hands near each other. A ring made of rainbow light appeared at the end of each of her arms and traveled down them until slightly before her elbow before disappearing. This left a pink light in the shape of an arm warmer that went just slightly beyond her wrist. She flicked her arms so they crossed, throwing the pink light off and revealing white arm warmer and three red bracelets of beads on each wrist. She crossed her right arm over her face, having a red cloth appear on the middle bracelet that, when stretched out, would reach her elbow in a stream of pink light.

Then, a larger version of the rings appeared right below each of her feet. They started traveling up her legs, slowing down when it transformed her shoes and socks to bright pink light before disappearing. She clicked her feet together, throwing the light off of them. They were revealed to be white, ankle length boots with the heel and toe being pink. The top part was overturned, revealing the pink inside. A white bow was attached at the point where it was overturned, a gold symbol of a constellation attached to it.

An even bigger ring appeared around and started traveling up her legs, taking her clothes away. When it reached a certain area on her right leg, it slowed down, leaving two inches of pink light right above her knee. It sped up again, transforming her capris and shirt into new clothing before disappearing. Rose crossed her arms over her chest before throwing them off, the light going with them. It was a single strap, bright pink dress with the thick strap going over her left shoulder. The strap and the top of the dress along with the hem of the skirt were a few shades darker as well as the biker shorts that were peeking out underneath the skirt, leaving an inch between the same-colored, simple garter on her right leg. There was also a big bow tied on the back of the dress that was the same shade as the strap, the excess ribbon going down to her knees, twisting as it traveled downwards.

Her hair started becoming bathed in rainbow light, starting from her roots. The light went passed where her hair ended continuing on until it went passed her hips. Rose spun in place, her hair being separated into ponytails. The light then came off of her hair in a flash of pink light. Her hair was a shade of pink between the dress and the garter. The thick pony tails were held in place by two gold spheres with two, dark pink ribbons coming out of them. Engraved on the spheres was a five point star with a constellation symbol on top of it. Pink lights appeared around her neck and on her ear lobes, flashing off to reveal a pink choker and gold star earrings, but her glasses had disappeared. The shooting star necklace she was wearing was still around her neck. She touched her right hip, the key ring and the two keys appearing on the ribbon tied around her hips. She placed both hands over the left side of her chest. The same gold star and Z combo that was on the other girl's chest appearing on Rose where the strap and the top of the dress met in a flash of pink light.

"I can't believe it," Rose exclaimed while looking at herself. "I-I'm a Pretty Cure…"

"Neither can we, umi," Comet replied to the girl. Rose shook her head and a determined look crossed her face.

"The archer, dancing with all the colors!" she shouted out. She struck a ballet pose before getting into one that matched her constellation. "Cure Sagittarius!" Rainbow glitter suddenly busted out from behind her, falling to the ground.

"She's done something like this before," the other girl muttered to herself. "That can be the only explanation." She then shook her head. "Hey, Sagittarius!" The pink Cure looked over at the blue one. "I'm Cure Aries. Do you think you can fight?"

"I know I can," Sagittarius said, a smirk crossing her features. The much taller girl walked over to Aries, the smaller Cure just barely reaching her shoulders. "Let's do this, Aries."

"You got it, Sagittarius," Aries smirked back. The two Cures got into a fighting stance.

"KURIOHOSHI CORVUS!" the giant bird mutant screeched. It appeared ready for round two.

The two girls shouted, jumping towards the giant bird. The two exchanged blocking and attacking like they had known how to do it forever. Comet and Luna were amazed at what was going on, seeing two Cures fighting for the first time in their lives was an amazing even to watch.

The monster used its wing to throw the two Cures into the middle of the road. To its surprise, they both landed on the ground, Aries doing a few flips to get rid of the extra momentum while Sagittarius landed on her feet, sliding on the ground. Both took a few steps before launching themselves back at the monster.

Aries kicked the monster's giant wing away when it tried to block. Sagittarius took the chance to deliver a giant uppercut to it. It flew upwards, slamming it into the building that Aries pushed it into earlier, making the entire structure come down.

"Sagittarius, do it now!" Aries commanded her. Sagittarius nodded.

The pink Cure placed her hands over the star and Z on her chest. Pink light shone from it. Sagittarius lifted up her right hand. Light that was all different kinds of colors came to her hand to form a sphere as the cloth hanging from her wrist was glowing rainbow.

"Sagittarius Burst!" She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky. She brought her thumb down and a beam of rainbow-colored light came out of her two fingers. It landed right on the crow, causing it immense pain. Soon, there was an explosion that came from the crow. Shrapnel, for some reason, did not fly through the air. When the smoke cleared from the area, everyone saw a man lying unconscious where the monster was at and a sphere of light floating next to him.

"You two fairies can go ahead and get the power," Aries addressed the fairies.

"Uh, okay, col," Luna nodded. She flew up next to the power and took out a crystal. The black light flew into the crystal before disappearing. As soon as it had disappeared, everything that was destroyed was rebuilding itself and anyone that happened to have gotten injured was healed. Cure Aries then turned to leave.

"Wait," Sagittarius commanded. "What is really going on?"

"The two fairies can explain that to you," Aries told her, turning around to face the taller girl. She then bent down to the fairies level. "Galaxy is fine. She's off to find some Cures that have been here for years. She'll be back before you know it. For now, try to find Cures here: most of them are located somewhere in this city. Now, I have to go. I'll be back." Cure Aries then jumped away as sirens could be heard in the distance.

"We need to get out of here, too," Sagittarius told Comet and Luna. She gathered up both fairies and proceeded to jump away just as the police arrived. No one noticed the two people looking down from the building above. They were under a shadow with an evil aura infused with it, unable to be made out.

"Well, it looks like they managed to get one of the powers," one of them said.

"Camerina said to let them have this victory," the second one said. "We should report that Starcy has started to rebuild the Zodiac." The first one nodded in agreement and the two disappeared out of sight.

* * *

"This woman, Camerina, she's going to take the power of the 73 different Star Tribes and create an army," Queen Starcy explained to the fairies while looking at the wall. "Normally, as you already know, this wouldn't be as big of a problem if someone from the tribe itself was involved in the finding of the champion, but she won't care about finding the correct champion so much as finding strong vessels for the power." She then turned back to the fairies while removing a pair of keys from the wall.

"This is where the Zodiac Keys come in," she continued. "I had these keys forged in a way that the power itself will know when its champion is near. They will tell you who the champion is as long as you pay attention." The set she was holding and the seven remaining ones floated over to Comet and Luna. "Your task will be to gather up the champions so that they can stop the evil before it truly begins for if the Real World falls..."

"You can count on us, Queen Starcy, ari!" Galaxy told her.

"You must move quickly," Starcy told them all. "Comet, Luna, gather the champions up for when they are all together, they will be-"

* * *

"Pretty Cure… Zodiac?" Rose asked the two fairies while looking at her keys. They were back at her home, in her room. Rose tore her gaze away from the keys and finished changing Comet's bandages.

"Yes, umi," Comet replied. "If we had known you were Cure Sagittarius from the start, we would've told you everything from the start, umi."

"Will you help us, col?" Luna asked her. Rose looked out the window.

"This isn't the first time I've been dragged into something much, much bigger than me," Rose told the fairies. "And this isn't the first time I've been dragged into it against my will." The two fairies wanted to question what she meant by her words, but she turned back to them and kept talking before they could ask. "Even if I had a true choice, I would help out." She grabbed onto her necklace. "I would do everything in my power to protect everyone I love. You can count on my help to protect this world and to find the other Cures."

"Thank you, Rose," the two fairies said at the same time. Rose let out a huge grin.

* * *

 **You Are a Star**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed_  
 _Another day is ready to start again_  
 _The shower's running, the coffee is burning_  
 _Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

 **I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of Pretty Cure Zodiac! I've been waiting a long time to write this story and now I finally have the chance to do so. I'll go ahead and say this just this one time: I do not own the name Pretty Cure, the songs that were used in this story, or any other franchises/ characters that are going to appear in this story, but I do own all of the OCs that are used.**


	2. Windy Twins Gemini! Space Bull Taurus!

**A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

"You're lucky we're taking you to see Gia, Anna. Stephanie really wanted to go running."

"I know, Chloe."

Two teenagers were driving into town, the older one driving the car. Both had short, platinum blonde hair and blue eyes. The older girl was wearing fashionable, green workout clothes while the younger one was wearing more sociable clothes – a dress and high heels. As they entered the town and got closer and closer to the movie theatre, they saw police officers and emergency responders rushing towards their destination. Eventually, they were forced to stop and park in a nearby parking area.

"What in the world is going on?" Chloe, the older one, asked no one in particular. The two got out of the vehicle to watch the organized chaos happening in front of them.

"Anna!" a voice rang out from behind them. There stood a six foot girl with blonde hair going past her shoulders and blue eyes. She was wearing baggy clothes – a red shirt with blue jeans and red flip flops. She also had a red baseball cap on top of her head. The younger one immediately recognized her.

"Gia!" Anna ran up to her incredibly tall friend. "What happened?"

"I was waiting for you at the movie theatre when a man suddenly turned into a giant crow!" the somewhat hysterical girl told them. "It was destroying everything! There was even two girls in weird outfits fighting it off! And when they were done, all the damage repaired itself as if it never happened!" The siblings looked at each other in what seemed to be worry, Gia noted. "I know it sounds strange, I know, but you have to believe me, especially after that monster attacked Nightingale City at Christmas time!"

"Anna, you and Gia go hang out somewhere," Chloe told them. "I'm going to go see some friends." She got back in the car and drove off, leaving her little sister and Gia there. Gia looked at her friend to see her worried about something.

"Do you wanna do each other's hair?" she decided to ask. Anna looked somewhat startled at the question, but eventually nodded. Gia was glad that she managed to get her friend (and, by extension, herself) off of what happened near the theatre while walking towards her dad's beauty salon.

* * *

A car pulled off the road just outside the city. Chloe took out her cell phone and looked through the contacts, stepping out of her car as she did so. Finding the contact labeled Shelby she quickly pressed it and called. The phone rang a couple of times before someone answered it with a "Hello?"

"Shelby, it's Chloe," Chloe told her.

"Hey, Chloe, what's up?" the voice on the other side asked.

"I have a question for you," Chloe got straight to the point. "Have you and Halona done anything as Day and Night recently?"

"Day and Night? What are you talking about?" Shelby asked, sounding confused about what Chloe was trying to get at.

"Sorry I asked. I'll talk to you later." She hung up her phone after hearing "Goodbye" from the other girl. She put her cell phone back in her pocket and looked up at the sky. She took out a pocket mirror and looked at it. "Looks like Shelby and Halona are gone, Stephanie."

"I'm not surprised," the reflection of herself smirked. "When they got their Pretty Cure powers back, they said that their stand-ins wouldn't know or notice anything out of the ordinary."

"But everyone from when _he_ attacked don't have their powers," Chloe reminded her. The other girl's face then lit up.

"Didn't Cure Day and Cure Night call themselves TimeStream Pretty Cure?" she asked. Chloe's eyes then widened. "If they had to be specific about that, then there could be other Pretty Cure teams out there as well." Chloe swore. Her reflection giggled.

"Well, even if that's true, there's no way we can find out more," Chloe reminded her.

"I guess," the other replied. "For now, let's get home; I wanna go for a jog!"

"But it'll ruin my makeup," she complained.

"Does it sound like I care about your makeup?" Chloe swore again as she closed the mirror and got back into the car.

* * *

"I hate you both."

It was barely what the two fairies quickly learned what Rose would consider to be morning (aka six-thirty) the next day. All three were traveling down the streets of the empty town. Rose was wearing blue jeans and a light, white jacket because of the cool temperature that had perpetrated the morning.

"But we need to find the other Cures, col," Luna flew closer to Rose's face, hoping she would understand.

"And we would find them better this way how?" Rose asked impatiently, the bags under her eyes quite clear to the dove.

"Because everyone is still inside, we can narrow down where the Cures are at, umi," Comet chimes in. He kept an eye on the keys he was carrying with him, watching to see if any of them would start glowing. Suddenly, one of the sets started glowing. "Another Cure is nearby, umi!" He took out the set of keys. This odd set of four keys were glowing bright green and only glowing brighter.

"Another power is nearby, col!" Luna exclaimed. Rose quickly turned around, her eyes widening at who she saw.

"Rose?!"

"S-Stephanie?!"

* * *

Anna was making sure that she had all of her stuff while Gia watched her, the former dressed in the same clothes from yesterday with the latter in her baggy, gray and black PJs and red slippers. The latter was a bit saddened when the former told her that her sister would be here soon, but didn't make a huge fuss about it. The two were waiting outside her father's hair salon for Chloe to get there when a strange man appeared in front of them.

Gia thought his looks were very weird. It reminded her of Hercules from the Disney movie, but it was somehow more modern than that. He had everything down pact, but looked so weird especially since there wasn't one of those weird conventions or Halloween. Gia looked over to Anna who was glaring venomously at the man.

"Yes, that will do nicely," the man said. He held a ball of light out in his hand.

"Stop!" a voice from down the road screamed. Gia watched as the man walked up to the salon window and _pushed_ the light through the window and into a display wig. The wig started coming to life, the brown strands of the beehive-styled wig starting to fly around.

"It's too late," the man smirked, watching the wig transforming into a giant monster. Gia and Anna ran away from it as fast as they could. They ran towards the voice – a teenager older than them in all pink – with who Gia recognized as Anna's older sister, Chloe, right behind her along with an oddly colored panda bear and dove.

"Who are you and why are you doing this?" the teenager asked.

"You can call me Hercules, Cure Sagittarius," the man replied. The girl flinched at the name being said. "For now, I want to see how you handle a Kuriohoshi on your own." He then turned around.

"Wait!" Sagittarius ran to him. He disappeared from sight. She cursed.

"KURIOHOSHI COMA BERENICES!" the wig monster screamed. It was surrounded by a sinister aura, giving the giant wig menacing eyes. Many strands of hair came together to give the wig many octopus-like tentacles.

"You're going down!" Sagittarius yelled at it. As she ran towards the giant monster, Gia and Anna ran towards the latter's sister, the sister doing the same.

"Anna, how did this happen?" 'Chloe' asked.

"I-I don't know," Anna replied. "I-is that a Pretty Cure?!"

"Yeah," she replied. "Cure Sagittarius of the Pretty Cure Zodiac."

"Who is she?" Anna asked. "Is there anything we can do to help her, Stephanie?" Anna's sister shook her head. Seeing this conversation play out only added to Gia's immense confusion. Who was that pink girl? How did one of her dad's wigs become a monster? Why wasn't Anna or Chloe screaming for their lives? Why was Anna calling Chloe Stephanie?

While Gia was distracted with everything around her, the two fairies used their talking to take a chance and look at the keys. Another pair was glowing red. Their smiles brightened when they pointed the set at Gia, resulting in an increased intensity.

"You're a Pretty Cure, too, col!" Luna cheered as she flew up towards Gia, the ring the keys were on in her talons.

"W-What in the world is going on?!" Gia yelled at everyone. "I-I don't understand anything that is happening right now!"

"Transform and it will all make sense, umi," Comet told her.

"Don't worry about it," Anna's older sister smirked, holding up her own set of four keys. "We'll do it together, Gia." Her eyes suddenly rolled back into her head, creeping out the poor girl before they came back down again. "Sorry, Stephanie doesn't usually explain very well." Gia had an expression of pure terror on her face. Chloe/ Stephanie (honestly, Gia had no idea anymore) sighed. "We'll explain everything later. For now, just trust us." She then turned to her sister. "Get ready for a surprise, Anna." Chloe took the two bronze keys on the ring and ripped them off.

"Oh Goddesses, what did I get myself into?" Gia asked herself as she ripped the bronze key off of her ring. Both girls threw the gold rings and extra silver keys into the air. They spun rapidly until becoming a red array for Gia and a green array for Chloe like that appeared in front of Rose when she transformed, but with a different constellation in the middle. The girls held their keys up next to their faces with Chloe holding one in each hand.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" They pushed the keys into the keyholes that appeared in the center and just off center of the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays broke apart into many pieces.

"Pretty Cure?" Anna whispered to herself. "No way."

The Kuriohoshi and Sagittarius stopped fighting temporarily to see the amazement that was going on with Gia and Chloe/ Stephanie. Sagittarius couldn't help but let out a curse in amazement.

Gia's transformation was something that she never expected in her entire life. Her slippers started – with a lack of a better word – teleporting off of her feet, replaced with a red light that traveled so far up her legs that her pajama pants hid most of them. She clicked her feet together, throwing the red light off of them. The white, thigh high boots settled on her feet in the slipper's place. The heel and toe are the same red color that was flicked off of her. As her gray pajama pants were slowly teleported away, her boots were revealed more and more. When they were at the midpoint of her thighs, it was revealed that her boots went up to a little less than her mid-thigh. At the top of each boot was a red ribbon circling the top with a magenta ribbon on the side being pinned down by a gold, constellation.

Red light started teleporting onto her hands and arms as well. She held them out in front of her to see what would happen. It started with the creation of arm warmers with a row of orange beads on each wrist. A little above where the bracelets formed, a sleeve with a wide opening started to form as well, swallowing up the arm warmers and getting narrower as it teleported up her arms. The sleeves, after they fully teleported onto her arms, stopped at her mid upper arm and were a solid red with magenta lines at both ends.

She then hugged herself for a moment. She suddenly threw her arms off of her body, the remainder of her clothes came off of her in a flash of red only to be replaced by new ones faster than anything could record. She was now adorned with a short, sleeveless, solid red kimono. The vertical ends were magenta as well as the ribbon that was tied around her waist. The excess tied a bow in the back with the ends going slightly past the length of the kimono. The part of the kimono that was underneath the ribbon was open, revealing a red skirt.

Gia's hair started turning red from the roots and continued going to the tips, lengthening it slightly in the process. Red light teleported onto her forehead, creating a tiara similar to that from Sailor Moon with a star and a constellation symbol etched in the center. Red light also teleported onto her neck and the middle of her long, pointed ears at the same time, creating a red choker and dangling star earrings. She touched her right hip, the key set appearing on the ribbon. Lastly, she placed both hands over the left side of her chest, removing them for the badge that Sagittarius wore to appear where her hands were.

The transformation with Chloe/ Stephanie happened a bit differently. She threw her short hair in front of her by bending over, creating a gust of wind and bathing her hair in a bright, green light. When she went to straighten her back, a huge gust of wind tinted green blew around her. When the wind dispersed, there were two girls back to back, standing in the place of the one. They looked identical to each other in every way. Their clothing was bright green lights that were shaped like clothing. Their hair was a bright green that reached their lower backs with two ringlets on the side of their faces. A brush of wind gave them one star and constellation pin with a colored cloth underneath on the side of their heads: the right one on the right side with a pink cloth and the left one on the left side with a blue cloth.

The two then linked arms and started spinning around. The wind was absorbed into their outfits, causing them to suddenly lose the bright light. The dresses were a bright green with very large skirt that resembled a dress with a hoop skirt if it ended above the knees. The top of the dress, the ruffles on the two inch straps, the ruffles on the bottom of the skirts, and the thin belt that went around their hips were the same colors as the cloths on their heads. The two stopped spinning around and pushed their arms out to the side. The light was thrown off in an instant, revealing arm warmers that went up to the middle of their arms. Two rows of darker, green beads were on their wrists.

The two then clicked their heels together. Bright green boots appeared on their feet and legs that went up to just below their knees, the tops having a hold that was a bit too big for their legs to fit in properly. Near the top were three ovals that were pink for right and blue for left. Around the ankles of the boots were ribbons with a bow on the back. Pinning the bow was a gold constellation. Covering their knees were pink (right)/ blue (left) socks. The two placed their hands on their right hip. Two keys and a key ring appeared on each of their belts. They placed their hands over the left side of their chests before removing them. The badges appeared where their hands were once at.

"The bull, charging through this dimension!" Gia yelled out loud, gripping her hand, punching forward. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Taurus!" Red light gleamed off of her badge for a moment.

"The twins of the ever-changing wind!" the two girls said at the same time, facing each other, grasping each other's' hands. They then went back to back, striking the pose to match their constellation. "Cure Gemini!" Wind blew off of them for a moment.

"AAAH!" Taurus proceeded to scream as loud as she could. The confusion she held for the entire situation was above and beyond what she was used to. "What just happened to me?! What just happened to you?! What in the world is going on?!"

"Talk later, fight now," Blue Gemini winked at her.

"KURIOHOSHI COMA BERENICES!" the Kuriohoshi yelled again. Its tentacles reeled back slightly before launching at all four Cures. Taurus could hear Sagittarius curse before leaping away. Gemini did the same while Taurus just kept screaming. She got hit by two of the tentacles. She was sent flying to where Anna and the weird animals were standing, landing on the ground roughly while Sagittarius and Gemini landed on their feet. Sagittarius and Blue Gemini went back to fighting while Pink Gemini and Anna helped Taurus onto her feet.

"Gia, are you okay?" Anna asked.

"No, I am not!" Taurus yelled at her friend. Tears stung at the edge of her blue eyes. "Weird stuff is going on and I have no idea about any of it or why and…" She placed her hands over her ears. A couple of the tears came out of her eyes.

"…I remember," Pink Gemini started to recall. Taurus looked at her through the tears. "I remember a time when I was just as scared as you are and I didn't know what I could possibly do about it." She looked over towards Sagittarius and Blue Gemini. Taurus looked as well. She saw both Cures punching and kicking away the tentacles when they got too close to their liking. "Having people there to help you really does help." Taurus looked back to Pink Gemini. "I promise that we will tell you everything." She then looked at her younger sister. "Both of you. But right now, we need to help the others take down that monster." Taurus nodded, wiping away the tears from her eyes, trying to get back her courage.

"H-how?" she asked.

"Let your power guide you," Pink Gemini replied. The Cure then jumped back into the fight.

"She's right, umi," Comet agreed. "You can do it, Cure Taurus!"

Taurus let those words sink in for a few moments. Sagittarius and Gemini were fighting against the monster with all of their might, but with all the tentacles it was lashing out at them and all three of them either blocking or dodging each one, there was no way they were going to get close. Suddenly, something inside of her provided her with an answer.

She placed both hands over her badge, quickly removing them. Red light shone from the badge. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Red light started forming around her body.

"Taurus Teleport!" She then disappeared.

"What the-" Anna cursed. She and the two fairies looked around for her.

Taurus suddenly appeared behind the Kuriohoshi in a brief flash of red light. She kicked the back side of it before disappearing again in red light. Sagittarius took this chance to punch the Kuriohoshi's tentacles away from herself. Taurus appeared in the opening created just a moment later. She used a palm strike on the monster before teleporting away. Gemini jumped over tentacles and ran towards where the other Cure once was. They kicked as hard as they could, the monster tumbling and smashing into a nearby building.

"Finish him, umi!" Comet yelled with all of his might as Taurus reappeared for the final time next to the other Cures. Sagittarius and Gemini both placed their hands over their badges. When they were removed, Sagittarius's gave off a pink light while the Geminis' did so with a green one.

The two Geminis went back to back, spinning around while the wind whipped towards them and then condensed between their hands in front of them, turning it into a green ball of light. Grasping one hand, they used the other to bring the balls above them and merge it into one. The two then brought it down in front of them. Sagittarius lifted up her right hand. Light that was all different kinds of colors came to her hand to form a sphere as the cloth hanging from her wrist was glowing rainbow. She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky.

"Gemini Twister!"

"Sagittarius Burst!"

The light that Gemini held out in front of them suddenly turned into a green-colored twister. Sagittarius brought down her thumb, the same rainbow-colored light coming out of the tips of her middle and pointer fingers. Both attacks were heading at the Kuroishoshi and hit right on their marks.

"KURIOHOSHIIII!" the wig monster screamed in pain. An explosion then took place. When the resulting smoke cleared, the wig was on the ground, a bright light shining next to it. As Comet was about to pick it up, the light suddenly disappeared from view.

"What the heck, umi?"

"Where did it go, col?" Luna and Comet started looking around for the power. Taurus had no idea what that light was, nor did she even know what to think after that battle. She had so many questions floating around her head that she didn't even know where to begin.

"You have a lot of questions, I'm sure," Sagittarius walked up to her, "-but I have one first." She then turned towards Gemini and Anna. She pointed at Taurus. "Why didn't you three tell me you knew a Hylian?!"

The human females and the two fairies looked towards her. Taurus's face flushed with the unwanted attention. She placed her hands over her long, pointed ears, but apparently it wasn't fast enough.

"EEEEEH?!"

On a building not too far away from where the battle took place, Hercules stood there, watching the girls and fairies suddenly fawn over Taurus's ears.

"And another Cure has been awakened." A woman walked up behind him, the light in her hands. Hercules turned around to see her. "How do you think Camerina will react to this?"

"Who knows what that woman is thinking all the time," Hercules waved her off. "All I know is that she wants the Cures to be awakened. I think it would be quicker to just take the powers from the fairies before they can awaken everyone."

"Maybe…" the woman walked up to him, smirking at him. "But our orders are-"

"I know, I know," he waved her off, walking towards the staircase. He was covered in a bright light briefly before turning back to his original form. He continued to the staircase as a normal man in a business suit. "I have work to attend to now. I suggest you get that power back to Camerina immediately." He opened the door and walked down the stairs.

The woman grimaced at him before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

* * *

"So that's what's going on…" Gia whispered to herself as soon as Comet, Anna, and Chloe explained everything to her.

The world was in danger, after the giant monster that had attacked at Christmas time, was something she could easily accept. Having been called 'Hylian' was weird. Learning that she was going to be one of the few that would help save it, that was much harder to do so. Knowing that another group of Pretty Cure was based in Nightingale City - but currently not present - didn't surprise her after finding out that she was Pretty Cure as well. Finding out that Chloe had two separate personalities in her – the other one named Stephanie – was, surprisingly, the hardest to accept out of them all.

"Are you feeling okay, Gia, umi?" Comet asked. "You look pale, umi."

"I-it's a lot to take in," Gia responded after a moment of consideration. It wasn't a lie. "I mean, I can take the monsters attacking the city and that stuff, but…"

"Yeah, we've been there," Anna said. Gia rose an eyebrow at her best friend, wondering what she meant by that. "Don't worry. It takes a while to get used to the fact that Chloe and Stephanie share a body."

"I didn't even want to think about it until last year," Chloe admitted. "Not many people know, so could you please keep everything a secret?" Suddenly, her eyes rolled to the back of her head which – what she quickly learned – was that Stephanie was coming out.

"Girl, it's not for our sake; it's for yours," Stephanie replied with a smile on her face, stretching to her toes as she did so. "Besides, this isn't our first rodeo; we'll help you through this no matter what."

Gia thought about this for a moment. Yeah, everything was weird (especially Anna's older sister – sisters? she didn't know anymore), but everything would become normal soon enough. Besides, she didn't have to do this alone – Chloe and Stephanie would fight alongside her as would Sagittarius and Anna and the fairies would support her from the sidelines.

"Thanks, Anna, Chloe, Stephanie, Comet," Gia said. She shook her head. "Everything is going to be okay." She said it and kept repeating it in her head so that she could will it to be true.

Everything was going to be okay.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

* * *

The girl with blue hair was sitting across from a girl of similar age with black hair at a local café far away from the city she started at. The black haired girl still wore the same type of outfit that the bluenette remembered – a long-sleeved, all black dress with black tights and boots. She even finished the look with a black sun hat. The bluenette took a sip of her tea before putting her glass back down.

"I see," her guest said across from her. "Nightingale City in America, huh?" She looked towards the setting sun. A smile graced her features. Amusement danced in her orange eyes. "I've never been to that city before. I bet there are a lot of really cool places to see there!"

"Alright!" the bluenette seemed extremely satisfied and excited with her answer. "I'll meet you there soon." Both smiled at their drinks. "I can't wait to see Gabriella and Joanna again, Lana."

"I can't either, Zi-Zi."


	3. Return of Cancer! Come On In, Queen Leo!

June 11, 2011.

It was still very early in the morning when a fourteen-year-old girl walked out of the airport. It was, in fact, so early that the sun was just starting to come into view. The girl, dressed in all black attire that covered all of her skin, put her sunglasses on as she looked at the rising sun. She then suddenly turned away, pulling her suitcase alongside her. She walked over to the nearest cab.

"Aren't you a little young to be traveling all by yourself?" the cab driver asked her as he put her suitcase in the back of his vehicle.

"Please take me to the Marriott," the girl replied in a slight German accent, slipping her sunglasses down as she did so. The cab driver lost focus for a moment before realizing that he walked over to the driver's seat. The girl got into the back of the cab before the driver took off. She raised her sunglasses back to cover her eyes.

"So, what are you doing in Nightingale City?" the driver asked her. "We may be big, but we don't have much in the ways of attractions."

"…I'm here because of a friend," the girl decided to talk. "I have something very important to do here." She didn't say anything more as the cab driver pulled up to the Marriott. She paid him and took her bag. Before he left, she looked at him again, lowering her sunglasses once more. "Forget me and everything I just told you." The cab driver once again lost focus. She then walked into the Marriott.

As soon as she was out of sight, the man suddenly focused like something turning on a light switch. He wondered what he was doing in front of the Marriott as he got back into his cab.

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

Later in the day, Gia, Anna, and Comet were walking around the city while Chloe was at her part time job. Comet was occasionally looking at the keys, watching to see if any of the five sets he and Luna still had in their shared possession would start glowing.

"Is there an easier way to do this?" Anna asked the panda bear fairy.

"Queen Starcy never told us how the keys really worked, so this is the best way, umi," Comet explained to them. He then gasped. The girls kneeled down to him as he took out one of the sets. The tips of the keys were glowing brown, but it was just barely noticeable. "The next Cure is close, umi!" He then ran off in the direction that he thought was correct.

"Comet, wait!" Gia yelled for the yellow panda. The two girls ran after him, not noticing that someone had noticed them.

The two ran after the small panda, but it was getting harder to do so as the crowd got bigger and more compact. Anna barely noticed when Comet ran into the local zoo. The two paid as quickly as they could before running into the zoo. However, they took too long as Comet was no longer in sight.

"Which way did he go?!" Gia asked Anna.

"I don't know!" Anna replied. "He could be anywhere by now!" She quickly looked around, trying to find the small panda bear.

The two started running through the busy zoo, trying their hardest to keep their eyes open for Comet or anyone interacting with him. As they got deeper into the zoo, a sudden commotion from one of the areas. The girls ran over to the area, pushing through the crowd as fast as they could. The two gasped when they were finally able to see down into the display.

It was the lion attraction. Two female lions, one male, several cubs, and one startled, fourteen-year old human girl with curly, dirty blonde hair and very dark skin, and Comet were inside the den. The adult lions were surrounding the girl and Comet while the cubs seemed to be pacing behind the adults. Both the girls gasped upon seeing the situation.

"How in the world did he get down there?!" Gia asked in a panic.

"Who cares?!" Anna turned to glare at her. "All that matters is that we need to get them out of there!"

When the two looked back at the scene, there was another girl already in there. She helped the girl up and took Comet underneath her arm. She then turned towards the lions. The cats started backing away in what appeared to be fear. She then turned her gaze towards the crowds, speaking in a light German accent.

"Delete the videos and posts of this from your electronic devices and your social media accounts. Then, forget that this ever happened."

Anna and Gia then watched as she then walked up to the wall with the girl and Comet. She jumped the wall with her two guests in tow and landed near where the two girls were at. She then started walking away with both the fairy and the girl in tow. The two girls looked at each other with disbelief and then at the crowd. They were messing with their phones, deleting anything about the event they had recorded, looking highly unfocused as they did so. Gia and Anna started running after her, screaming at her to stop.

The two manage to catch up to the strange girl just as she turns the corner. She looks at the two with surprise written all over her face. Comet looks at them with happiness, pride, and relief. The other girl isn't looking at them, but at herself.

"You did not forget?" the girl asked them.

"How could we?!" Gia replied back with anger written on her face. "You dealt with those lions like they were nothing! You jumped that wall with Comet and this girl! And then everyone in the crowd was acting all wonky when you talked to them. What is going on?!"

"…Let's sit down and talk," the girl finally said, allowing Comet to drop to the ground and walk with the girls. She turned to the girl next to her. "Come on." The girls followed her, looking with skepticism at each other.

* * *

The four girls and Comet were sitting at a picnic table with ice cream in front of them. The girl from the cage was poking at her ice cream as if she had never seen it before. Her yellow tank top with an emoji of a lion on it and her light brown short shorts were getting stained from her continual wiping her sticky fingers on them. The other girls and Comet were eating their ice cream in an awkward silence. Finally, Comet decided to break the ice.

"I'm Comet, umi," he introduced himself to the two girls. "The tall one is Giustizia Lanayru, but we call her Gia, umi. The shorter one is Anna Stevens, umi. Who are you two, umi?" The one in black smiled while the other one looked shocked. The girl in black looked at the odd girl. She stopped poking her ice cream when she realized that everyone was looking at her.

"N…" she tried to make a sound. Her face scrunched up in concentration. "Ni… na… Nina…" The other girl nodded as she took her turn.

"My name is Lana Kali," she replied. "And, like you girls…" She reached into her dress's pocket and pulled out a set of keys that looked almost like the ones that Gia had been given a few days ago. "I'm a Pretty Cure."

"WHAAAAT?!" Gia and Anna shouted, the latter being too shocked to correct her. The other girl looked at them in confusion. People around them looked at them in confusion and annoyance before going on about their day. The conversation continued after a few seconds.

"No way, umi!" Comet replied. "Queen Starcy gave us only eight sets of Zodiac Keys, umi! How did you get one, umi?!"

"There are twelve sets of Zodiac Keys total," Lana told the fairy. She then looked at the others. "The Pretty Cure Zodiac has existed since Queen Starcy started her rule over Constella. The group has protected the universe from the monsters called Kuroihoshi for generations. Each constellation finds a new Cure when the need for them rises…" She then glared at the fairy below her. He started sweating. "I thought you of everyone here would know that."

"B-but only humans can use the keys!" Gia replied, trying to find a reason why Lana wouldn't be a Pretty Cure. "I-its obvious that some of the keys could've been lost when they died!"

"Nope, umi." Everyone turned their attention to Comet. "Humans can use the keys, but they're not the only ones, umi. Fairies, robots, aliens, animals, everyday objects, different kinds of monsters, and even an angel have been chosen to wield the powers of the Zodiac, umi."

Anna gasped, looking at Lana. Gia looked over at her best friend. "Then… does that mean you're not human?" Gia looked at her, eyes wide. Nina looked over at Lana as well, curiosity filling her face.

"That is correct," she replied. She then leaned in closer, grinning at the two. They could see two, sharp fangs protruding out of her mouth and an unfound glean in her orange eyes. "Not everyone dies between the gatherings and I'm proof of that: I'm a 1200 year old vampire."

Gia and Comet screamed as they moved as far away from Lana as possible. Nina looked confused. Anna, on the other hand, look fascinated. The people around them ignored them this time.

"I've never met a vampire before," Anna told Lana.

"I'm not surprised," Lana accepted her reaction. She placed her fangs back inside her mouth. "My kind tends to stay in Europe."

"Y-y-y-y-you're…" Gia trailed off.

"Why should this surprise you as much as it is?" Lana asked her. "You are Hylian, a species that comes from another world entirely."

"…What are you-"

"And this girl here is one of the lion cubs from that zoo display." Anna slowly got closer to Nina as Gia tried to get further away from the table. Nina looked back at her. "The power from her keys has given her the abilities to take a human form, have some human instincts, and speak a human language."

"…Really?"

Nina looked up at Anna. "I am… a lion… not a human…" She pulled her knees up to her chest. "I'm scared… I want to be with my daddy and my mommies and my brothers and my sisters… I don't want to be human…"

"Do not worry, Nina," Lana placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Nina looked over at her. "I will help you learn how to move through the human world. I will also make sure you can reunite with your family as soon as possible."

"…Thank you."

Screaming started happening from nearby. People started running away from the area and past the group. The group looked at all the people that were panicking. They then heard it.

"KUROIHOSHI CAMELOPARDALIS!" A shadow crawled its way over the group, causing all five of them to look up into the sky. What towered above them was a giant giraffe that looked incredibly mutated. Everyone looked at it with wide eyes, but Nina licked her lips at the sight of it, muttering something about giant giraffes to herself.

"It's been a while since I last transformed," Lana smirked. She took out her keys and pulled off the bronze one from the gold ring, glad that the last of the crowd had gotten out of the immediate area.

Gia swallowed the excess saliva that pooled in her mouth from the mention of having to fight another monster. "O-okay." She pulled the bronze key off of her ring.

"Foooood…" Nina drooled at the Kuroihoshi, her unnatural green eyes eying it with hunger.

"Nina…"

"Oh!" she snapped out of it when Comet nudged her leg. She looked over to the other two and pulled the correct key off the ring. All three of them threw the rings and the silver keys still attached spinning in front of them. They then transformed into magical arrays: red for Gia, orange for Lana, and bright brown for Nina.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" They pushed the keys into the keyholes that appeared in the center of the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays broke apart into many pieces.

Gia's sandals started teleporting off of her feet, replaced with a red light that traveled so far up her legs. She clicked her feet together, throwing the red light off of them. Her boots were revealed at that moment. As her blue jeans were slowly teleported away, her boots were revealed more and more until they were fully revealed.

Red light started teleporting onto her hands and arms as well. It started with the creation her arm warmers and her set of beads. As those continued to form, her sleeves started to teleport onto her as well. They continued to form until they were done at mid arm.

She then hugged herself for a moment. She suddenly threw her arms off of her body, the remainder of her clothes came off of her in a flash of red only to be replaced by new one. She was now adorned in her kimono, ribbon, and skirt.

Gia's hair started turning red from the roots and continued going to the tips, lengthening it slightly in the process. Red light teleported onto her forehead, creating her tiara. Red light also teleported onto her neck and the middle of her long, pointed ears at the same time, creating her choker and earrings. She touched her right hip, the key set appearing on the ribbon. Lastly, she placed both hands over the left side of her chest, removing them for the badge to appear.

Lana kicked at the earth as hard as she could, the ground cracking underneath her heel. From it spouted burning hot lava. It traveled up from the earth and covered her feet, traveling up her legs, her torso, and then her arms and hands. She spun around a few times, seemingly relishing the fact of the molten earth on her bare skin.

She clicked her heels together. This caused the lava to quickly dissolve off of them. Replacing her boots and her tights were white, high heel boots that came up to her knees. The tops were folded over, revealing orange insides. They were held down by yellow bows with her constellation's symbol pinning that. The toe and the heel of the boots were also the same color of orange.

Lana then put her arms to her sides with emphasis, as if getting ready to punch a board. This caused all of the lava that was on her torso and upper legs to dissolve. Revealed underneath was a white, sleeveless unitard that went about a third of the way down her thighs. Lava then formed around her body again, this time forming the shape of a loose shirt and skirt. In a flash of orange light, the lava transformed into a transparent, loose, orange shirt and skirt. The sleeves of her shirt went a little less than halfway down her upper arms while the lower part failed to cover her midriff. The skirt went down to just above her knees and was held up by an orange elastic band around her hips.

She then threw her arms over her head one at a time. When she did that, the lava on them dissolved when they reached the highest point. On her arms were white gloves that went down to her elbows. On her wrists were three rows of yellow beads. Lava then completely surrounded the top of her head, morphing her sunhat and her hair into its new style. When it quickly dissolved, her usually black hair was now orange. It was also being held in a golden, fashionable hair net. The net was held up by a yellow bow with the excess ribbon going slightly past the net itself and being pinned down by a gold star. An orange light came in front of her face and left her dangling, golden star earrings, her orange choker, and a transparent, orange face veil that just barely covered the choker as well. She touched her right hip, the keys appearing on the orange elastic. She placed her hands over the left side of her chest, her badge appearing in a flash of orange light.

Petals from all different kinds of trees and flowers started swirling around Nina. She looked fascinated by all of the different colors swirling around her. Her hair suddenly came to life and started wrapping itself up into two buns where her lion ears would be at. When they were done, a petal landed at the base of each one. In a flash of light brown light, the petals transformed into yellow bows with a star pinning both to her hair. A petal landed on each of her ear lobes, transforming into her earrings. Many more landed on her neck, wrapping around it. In a flash of light, they transformed into a light brown choker.

Nina watched in fascination as some of the petals as they swirled around her hands. They then came together on her skin. The petals created white arm warmers that were like the others'. They only extended a few inches from her wrists. More petals landed on her wrists, fusing together in a flash of light brown light to create two rows of orange beads on each arm. The petals then landed on her clothing, completely covering them. After a flash of brown light, her clothes were entirely different from when she had started out. There was a yellow tube top covering her chest with a light brown, open vest over it, the vest itself not going down to her midriff. She was also wearing a yellow mini skirt that had a light brown fabric over it. The fabric allowed the skirt to be seen from the front (with the exception of the very top), but was twice the skirt's length in the back.

The last of the petals worked their way onto her tribal-looking sandals. They completely covered them and went to about half way up her calf. In a flash of light brown light, the petals transformed into high heels and ribbons. The heels themselves were also a light brown. The ribbons started at the back of the heels and wrapped around her legs, overlapping twice in the front. They were pinned together about halfway up her calf with a yellow ribbon with her constellation's symbol pinning it down. She touched her right hip, the keys appearing on the light brown fabric. She placed her hands over the left side of her chest, her badge appearing in a flash of light brown light.

"The bull, charging through this dimension!" Gia yelled out loud, gripping her hand, punching forward. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Taurus!" Red light gleamed off of her badge for a moment.

"The crab, swimming through the life of the world!" Lana yelled out loud, flipping over once before striking a pose similar to the Statue of Liberty. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Cancer!" A small amount of lava erupted from behind her.

"The lion, king of the jungle and all of nature!" Nina yelled out loud, spinning once while striking an air of royalty to it. She then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Leo!" Petals blew around her momentarily.

"You got this, guys!" Anna gave them a thumbs up from around a building corner along with Comet.

"Why didn't you transform?!" Cancer asked/ yelled at her.

"Because I'm not a Cure!" Anna yelled back.

"WAS MEINST DU DAMIT SIE NICHT EIN CURE SIND?!" Cancer yelled back in German, disbelief running through her.

"KUROIHOSHI CAMELOPARDALIS!"

Cancer quickly turned her attention back to the Kuroihoshi that was threatening them. It then started charging at them. It raised its head high into the air and attempted to sweep them off their feet with its neck. All three girls leaped into the air, Leo drooling the entire time. Taurus, her face morphing from one of being scared to one of determination, landed the first attack on the Kuroihoshi by dropkicking onto its back. Cancer and Leo landed back on the ground, watching as Taurus leapt back to them as the Kuroihoshi withered in pain.

"I'll show you two how an old pro does this," Cancer smirked at the two. She then ran up to the monstrous giraffe by herself. Leo crouched down on the ground, watching intently like the lion cub she is while Taurus watched to see how she would do.

The Kuroishoshi reared up on its hind legs, hoping to crush the vampire underneath its hoofs. "KUROIHOSHI CAMELOPARDALIS!" It slammed its hooves into the ground where it calculated where Cancer would appear. However, she dodged at the last moment. She then jumped up and punched the soft underside of the giraffe. It flew into the air very quickly. Cancer took this change to turn back towards Taurus and Leo.

"Cure Taurus, now!" she called out. Taurus quickly snapped out of her wonder and nodded in confirmation. She placed both hands over her badge, quickly removing them. Red light shone from the badge. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Red light started forming around her body.

"Taurus Teleport!" She then disappeared from sight. Leo looked around before finding the girl reappearing in the air next to the Kuroihoshi. She kicked it as hard as she could in its side. It went flying to the center of the zoo. "Leo, you're up! And don't eat it!"

"Aw…" Leo moaned at the last statement. Still, she ran towards the downed monster, trying at first like a lion before realizing that wouldn't work out and started running like a human being. She quickly found where the giraffe was at jumped up into the air. However, before she could punch its injured side, she was head-butted in her own by the Kuroihoshi. She flew into a light pole as a result of it. She hit the innocent pole so hard that it fell over and broke the blub inside. "Ow…"

Taurus and Cancer cried out for their teammate. However, Leo quickly got back on her feet and ran at the Kuroihoshi again. She went for the same tactic as before. However, just as the giraffe, now on its feet, was going to head-butt her again, she jumped over it and started running down its neck. She then took her fist and punched it as hard as she could in the middle of its neck. It fell to the ground once more, unable to move at all. The other two Cures, Anna, and Comet caught up to her at that moment.

"Do it now, umi!" Comet told them. Cancer placed her hands over the badge on her chest. Leo watched her do it and quickly repeated the actions. Orange and light brown light shone off their badges respectively.

Cancer once again kicked the ground. Lava started pouring out of it. However, instead of covering her like it did before, it formed a ball in front of her. She then threw it up into the air. "Cancer Eruption!" She then spiked it as hard as she could. The ball turned into a barrage of smaller balls all aimed at the Kuroihoshi.

Petals started spinning around Leo again. She seemed to bend them to her will, all of the petals floating up above her pointer finger. "Leo Ruling!" She then pointed at the Kuroihoshi. The petals moved towards the giraffe on a fierce, invisible, intangible wind.

Both attacks hit the monster spot on, the petals surrounding it while the ball of lava hit it directly. "KUROIHOSHIIII!" it screamed in pain. An explosion then took place. When the resulting smoke cleared, a normal giraffe was unconscious and a bright light shining next to it.

"Cancer Eruption!" Cancer used her attack again right at the power. Everyone but Leo gasped at what she was doing. However, before the attack hit the power, it hit something else – or rather, someone else.

A woman has come into view. She wore a toga that had a lot of silver accessories attached to it. Her short hair and eyes were a beautiful silver that matched the accessories perfectly. On her back was a harp. She glared at the vampire who only smirked at her.

"So, you're the one who has Lyra's power," Cancer stated. The other girls looked at each other while Comet's eyes widened.

"How did you know that?" the woman replied.

"It's obvious," Cancer answered. "You have a giant harp on your back and I know who holds Virgo's power." She then got into a fighting stance. "I do know, though, that your power is unstable and it will consume you eventually."

"Yeah right," Lyra replied. She flipped her hair away. "Like that will happen."

"Got it, umi!" Lyra turned around to see that the panda fairy. He had already used one of the crystals to gather the power. Everything that was damaged started to repair itself. Lyra kicked the poor fairy away from her before disappearing in a flash.

"Comet!" Taurus knelt down next to the poor fairy. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, umi," he replied. "W-we should go, umi."

"Come on, Cure Leo," Cure Cancer looked back to the lion-turned-human. Leo looked back towards the zoo. When she looked back towards Cancer, she had tears in her eyes. She nodded sadly. The Cures and Anna then ran away from the area. As they ran, Cancer looked over at Anna.

 _Only those that have one of the constellations' power and have been to other worlds are able to ignore my power,_ Cancer thought to herself, eyeing Anna with suspicion. _She even smells human. What in the world is she if she isn't a Pretty Cure?_

* * *

"Hey, Rose!" the girl's older brother called from the living room. "Come take a look at this!" Rose walked down the stairs, joining her lounging-clothed brother on the couch.

"Earlier today, one of the giraffes at the Nightingale City Zoo had turned into a monster and started attacking people at random," the newscaster for the local TV news reported. "This is a continuation of a story from earlier this week when a man said that he was also overtaken by a strange power that, in his words, 'felt wrong and all I wanted to do was get away from it'. While no one has been seriously injured, the monster has been defeated by an unknown source and all damages have seem to have repaired themselves. When asking police from comment…"

"Somethings up," Rose's brother stated.

"Yeah…" Rose trailed off, not wanting to reveal anything to him. She knew that Luna was watching from the top of the stairs, seeing what she was going to say. He ran a hand through his red hair, seemingly thinking about what to do.

"We can't get in touch with the Hands, they took everyone's powers, David doesn't want to be bothered, Shelby and Halona aren't here, and I don't know if I can fight them on my own," he listed out the problems. He leaned back, placing his arms over his green eyes and the big, x-shaped scar over the bridge of his nose. "What do you think we do, Rose?" Rose looked up at the dove. She shook her head no many times over.

"Hope for a miracle, Axl," Rose replied. "I think that's all we can do right now…" Axl smirked underneath his arm.

"You're not hiding something, are you?" he asked in a sing-song voice.

"I am not!" Rose spat back at him. It then became a verbal contest between the two siblings over whether Rose was truly hiding something or not which ended with Rose pulling on her brother's long, red hair and him calling uncle. Luna sighed from their antics before flying further into the house.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed_  
 _Another day is ready to start again_  
 _The shower's running, the coffee is burning_  
 _Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

* * *

"So, that's all happenin' rai' now, is it?"

The bluenette was in a nursing home. The elderly woman she was speaking with spoke with a strong London accent and was wearing the typical clothing old women in nursing homes usually wore. The girl just nodded.

"It's going on in America right now," she replied. "We need your help. I know that you just wanted to rest, Joanna-"

"Oh, hush now, Zi-Zi," she replied. The elderly woman pointed her can at the bluenette. "Ah may be on ma deathbed, but that doesn't mean that Ah can't get up and do something about it." She got up from her seat and started walking towards her antique wardrobe that was in the room. The bluenette looked at it as if she hadn't noticed it before. The woman opened it up before she looked back. "Well, what are you waitin' for? Start praying for Gabriella to meet us there and let's go!"

"O-okay…" the bluenette got back on track. The two of them entered the wardrobe. After a few seconds, the wardrobe started coming in and out of view before disappearing entirely.

"Okay, Ms. Smith, it's time for-" The nurse said as she entered the room. She then noticed that the patient and her guest were gone. She ran as fast as she could out of the room.


	4. Veterans Singing Virgo and Judge Libra

While the street was full of cars zooming through traffic and people walking to their destinations, tucked in a seemingly obvious place was an abandoned alley. No one on the streets even gave it a glance. Of course, there was no reason to look at it as it didn't even have a rat inside of it.

Suddenly, the wind in the alley started picking up. From out of nowhere, a porta-potty started materializing inside of the alley. Everyone kept walking, nothing being out of place for the ordinary people on the street. The wind started died down when the porta-potty had fully materialized.

The door then opened up. From inside of it came an elderly woman with hair white as snow and a fourteen year old girl with blue hair. The woman had a look of excitement on her face and started messing with one of the many black and white pearls on the left side of her hair. The girl, on the other hand, looked ready to throw up. She placed a hand on the alley wall while the door to the porta-potty closed behind her.

"Oh, come on, Zi-Zi, tha' was hardly anythin'!" the old woman belated the young girl in a think London accent.

"Yeah right, Joanna," the teenager replied, her face looking positively green.

"Now, now, there's no time to be sick to our stomachs!" the elderly woman started walking out of the alley, pulling along the poor girl by the scruff of her shirt. "We need to find the new Cures and fast!"

"I should've stayed home today," the girl lamented. She placed a hand over her mouth, holding back the contents of her stomach from going all over the ground.

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

Two guys waved good bye to their girlfriends for the day as they left the pool. They put on t-shirts as they started walking down the streets in their swimming shorts and flip flops. The two walked over to an ice cream stand, got their ice cream cones, and sat down on a bench in the nearby park.

"Man, it feels like so long ago since all that crazy stuff happened, Brach," the tan one said to the lighter skinned one.

"Yeah, Tommy," Brach agreed, running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. "And now more crazy stuff is happening here. Do you think _he_ knows what's going on here?"

"If _he_ was involved in any way, I think we would've been involved by now," Tommy retorted. "With Shelby and Halona gone, I don't know how those monsters are going away. Who do you think is doing this?"

Brach suddenly gasped. He grabbed onto Tommy's blonde-highlighted, dark brown hair and turned him in the direction where he was looking at. The other boy also gasped at what he was seeing.

A woman in her early to mid-twenties was walking towards them. She had long, blonde hair tied up into a high pony tail, pooling out from where it was all bunched together and went down to her knees. Her (surprisingly) pink eyes sparkled from even where they were sitting at. For some strange reason, she was wearing a light pink shirt that had a polo neck, a white mini skirt, and white, leather boots that went up to her knees.

However, what really caught Brach's attention were the big, white wings that were attached to her back.

They watched her as she walked in front of them and then walked away. They saw the giant hole in the back of her shirt that allowed her wings to fit through it. Tommy then noticed something.

"How come no one else can see her wings?" True to his words, as Brach looked at other people, they didn't seem to be noticing the wings that she clearly had. "Why is an angel even here?!"

"I don't know," Tommy admitted. "But if she has anything to do with what's been going on around here lately, we need to find out!"

Brach nodded. The two stood up and, while nonchalantly eating their ice cream, started tailing the woman.

They followed her all over the place and she never seemed to notice them following her. They watched her give some money to a homeless man, help an old lady cross the street, and help a pregnant mother carry groceries to her car as she traveled around the city. Eventually, she went into a restaurant and sat down next to an elderly woman with a stuffed, blue ram sitting on the table.

"There doesn't seem to be anything weird about anybody she's helped with," Brach told Tommy. The two got to a safe spot where they could continue watching her without drawing any suspicion to themselves.

"I think they weren't the main reason she's here," Tommy agreed. Brach looked over at him and then back at the woman inside.

"Do you think the main reason she's here is because of that woman inside?"

"Maybe."

The two watched from outside the restaurant and were surprised to see a familiar face serving the two women. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, seemingly able to notice the woman's wings.

"Chloe can see them, too?!" the two realized at the same time. The two saw them converse until Chloe walked away, clearly shaken by the experience.

The women continued talking until Chloe brought out their food. She then sat down with them, a plate of food for herself and a second one for some reason. The boys then saw their friend, Rose, entering inside of the building with a pink bird on her shoulder. She looked as shocked as Chloe did when they noticed the two and slowly sat down. However, the pink dove seemed happy to see the blue, now moving, ram.

"Tommy? Brach?"

The two quickly turned around to see Rose's older brother, Axl, standing behind them. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Look," Tommy told him. Axl's eyes widened at what he saw.

"I-is that an angel in there?" Axl asked no one in particular. "Is she here because…"

"We don't know," Brach answered. "But why are you here?" Axl looked back towards the window.

"Rose has been acting weird since the monster attacks in town began. She got a phone call earlier from Chloe telling her to come into town. I feel like she got caught up in this." The group of boys looked back at the scene playing out in the restaurant. "I know it's not the first time…" The other two shared a look with each other. "But if I can do something to help her and Chloe and Stephanie…"

"I know how you feel," Brach replied. "She's almost like a sister to me. If something were to happen to her, I don't know what I would do."

"Same here," Tommy agreed. "We've been through too much together. All of us have…"

The three were about to remanence about the past when they suddenly heard a "KURIOHOSHI ANTILA!" from down the street.

All three stood up and watched as a giant, monstrous bike pump started walking towards them. Walking behind it was Lyra laughing a menacing laugh. Rose, Chloe, the two women, the bird, and the _real_ ram ran outside to see what was going on. None of them noticed the guys not running away with all of the other civilians and watching them.

"Sagittarius, Gemini, show us what you got against that Kuroishoshi!" The winged woman told the two teenagers.

"Okay!" Rose and Chloe agreed. The two pulled out a set of keys with a matching giant key ring. Rose pulled off one while Chloe pulled off two. They threw the rest into the air, a magic array appearing in front of both of them.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" They pushed the keys into the keyholes that appeared in the center of the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays broke apart into many pieces.

Rose had five rings made of rainbow light pass over her arms, legs, and body, changing all of her clothes sans her necklace to her Pretty Cure outfit. A rainbow light started traveling through her hair, changing it to pink pony tails and giving her accessories to match.

Wind blew from Chloe, bathing her hair in a bright green light. Suddenly, wind colored green blew ferociously around her. When it disappeared, the amount of bodies in that area increased by one and both were in their Pretty Cure attire with matching hairstyles.

All three placed the key ring with keys on their right hip. They then placed both hands on the left side of their chests and quickly removed them, their badges appearing where their hands once were.

"The archer, dancing with all the colors!" she shouted out. She struck a ballet pose before getting into one that matched her constellation. "Cure Sagittarius!" Rainbow glitter suddenly busted out from behind her, falling to the ground.

"The twins of the ever-changing wind!" the two girls said at the same time, facing each other, grasping each other's' hands. They then went back to back, striking the pose to match their constellation. "Cure Gemini!" Wind blew off of them for a moment.

"Pretty Cure?" Axl asked. "When did they become Pretty Cure?"

All three girls suddenly ran off at the monster. They punched or kicked it, sending it off of its feet. However, the monster quickly got back on its feet. The girls ran up to it went to punch it. However, the monster, to their surprise, blocked all of them at once. It pushed them back to the road. Gemini went tumbling down the street while Sagittarius managed to land on her feet.

She screamed as she went back to fighting the transformed air pump. Their punches collided. They froze for a moment before they started blocking and punching and kicking each other, each of them gaining no ground. While that was going on, Gemini managed to get back up.

"I'll go left, you go right," Pink Gemini relayed her plan.

"No problem," Blue Gemini winked in return. The two split off from each other and jumped towards the nearby buildings. They landed on their hands and sprung off of them with all of their strength. However, instead of landing the kick, the Kuroihoshi blocked them both with its hands while Sagittarius was knocked back by the hose on its head.

The monster then threw Gemini into Sagittarius. All three fell harshly on the ground below. Their outfits had some scuffs on them and there were a few cuts on them as well. All three started getting up slowly as the Kuroihoshi laughed. As Sagittarius went to look back at the group, she then did a double take, finally noticing that Brach, Tommy, and Axl were watching her.

"Um, Gemini, we may have a problem."

Both Geminis were confused on what she was talking about until she pointed at the boys. Pink Gemini's jaw dropped while Blue Gemini started laughing hysterically.

"Oh, wow, I can't believe they found out this soon!" she stated through her laughing.

The other group looked over and saw what the three Cures were talking about. The two fairies looked at each other with worry. The older woman's eyes widened at the sight of them. The angel immediately noticed this. The old woman looked at the angel. "It's him," was all she said. In response to this, the angel jumped/ glided over to the group.

"I promise you will get an entire explanation out of all of us in time," she told them. "For now, stay out of the way." She then flapped her wings again, going back over to her group. "Luna, Galaxy, go with those boys for right now. Make sure they don't get into any trouble."

"Okay, ari," the blue ram agreed.

"Let's go, Galaxy, col," the pink dove also agreed. The two fairies went to the boys as the women walked up to the other Cures.

"It looks like the powers chose wisely," the elderly woman said. "You're very powerful."

"But take a look at how your sempai does things!" the angel said as they both took their own sets of keys.

"Sempai?" Blue Gemini asked. "What's a sempai?"

The women proceeded to take the bronze key off each of their rings. The two threw their rings and extra key into the air. They turned into magical circles, white for the angel and purple for the elderly woman.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac," the two said at the same time. They then placed their keys into the center of the array. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays in front of them broke apart into many pieces.

The angel sang out a short but beautiful melody. The notes flew around her on music staffs and wrapped themselves around her body. In a flash of white light, her modern day clothing was replaced with a toga-like outfit that was split in two parts. The sleeves were a light pink that flared out from where they were attached to the rest of the top by her constellation's symbols. Her wings were still visible outside of the top. The bottom of the toga-like ensemble went down to her knees and had more light pink fabric encircled the skirt just under her hips, being pinned in the front by the same constellation. Her stomach was exposed and had light pink fabric to make sure that the bottom of the top and the top of the bottom were secured in place.

Two more music staffs wrapped around her lower arms. When they disappeared in a burst of white light, sleeves similar to that of Taurus's were left behind. The differences were that they were white with pink fabric holding them at her elbow. She also had on three, solid gold bracelets on each of her wrists. A few music notes made their way up to the hair just above her bangs, her ears, and neck. When they touched the spots, her gold, dangling, star earrings, white choker, and white head band with a gold star attached to it all appeared in a flash of white light.

The last two music staffs wrap around her boots. When she clicks her heels together, they transform into two, white high heel with a band holding them on her ankles appear in their place. She places the ring with two keys on her right hip. She then places her hands over the constellation symbol on the left side of her chest.

The old woman had light purple light wrapping all around her from all sides. It completely surrounded her. It then suddenly all dispersed at once. In the old woman's place was a fourteen year old girl with long, purple hair that went down her knees. The last part of it was looped and held together with a gold blow with a star on it. The left side of her hair still had all of the pearls that the older woman wore. Unlike the others, her eyes also changed colors from brown to a bright purple. She also wore the same earrings as all of the other Cures and had a purple choker around her neck. The rest of her clothes morphed into one that was brightly lit with neon purple lighting.

She clapped her hands together. The purple light was thrown off of them and revealed a big, gold bracelet on each of her wrists. She then crossed her arms in front of her chest and threw them out in front of her. The light came off to reveal a light purple dress. It was made out of some plastic material. Purple lined the bottom and the area where her arms came out of. A sliver zipper went straight through the middle of the dress with the zipper being her constellation. The dress also had an unzipped, high collar with the same purple stripe going around the top of the collar.

She then kicked on of her legs into the air. The light came off both of her legs to reveal knee high, light purple boots that were made of the same material as her dress. A think, purple line was at the top of each of the boots. The transformed woman placed her key ring plus keys on her right hip. She placed her hands on the left side of her chest, her badge materializing in purple light when she removed them.

"The woman, singing from the heavens above!" the angel said with both hands on her chest and her wings closed up behind her. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation with her wings stretched out behind her. "Cure Virgo!" Small music notes started floating down around her.

"The scales that judge the fates of all!" the now young teenager said with a finger on her chin. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation. "Cure Libra!" Purple light shone from the pearls on her head.

"They're Pretty Cure, too?!" Axl questioned.

"Yep, ari," Galaxy told them. "Cure Virgo and Cure Libra have been a part of Pretty Cure Zodiac longer than all of our ages combined, ari."

"Amazing, col!" Luna said out loud.

"It's been so long since Ah last did this," Libra said in a different voice than before albeit with the same accent.

"Then let's get this show on the road!" Virgo told her. The two stood in front of Sagittarius and Gemini as the Kuroihoshi got up again.

It went to attack the girls, but Libra blocked its punch while Virgo jumped into the sky. She then landed on its head, heel first, hard. With the monster still dazed, Libra lifted it into the air and slammed it back down onto the street. Everyone watching was amazed at what they saw.

"She's really strong," Tommy couldn't help but say in awe.

"Whew, he was heavy," Libra said as she held her back like the old woman that she was. "Geeze, Ah'm old…"

"Oh, come on, I'm older than you," Virgo said in a teasing voice as she landed on the monster's head, hard. It groaned in pain. "That and you're supposed to be like your younger self right now!"

"One, you're another species entirely," Libra quipped back. "And two, I'm still old no matter what age I look!" The two looked back towards the monster on the ground. She looked back at the other Cures to see them struggling to stand. "Although Ah think we're going to need a boost from you if we're going to be taking out Antila."

"Antila?" Pink Gemini questioned.

"Sounds good," Virgo agreed. The angel jumped from her place on the dazed monster's head and onto a nearby building. She placed both hands over her badge. White light shone off of it. She then raised her left hand into the air. A white harp with a gold star on the base landed in her hands. The boys and Luna looked up into the sky, wondering where the harp came from. She cradled it in her arm. "Virgo Prayer!" She then started strumming a soothing tune. The effect was apparent immediately.

"Kuroihoshi Antila…" the monster said dreamily, seeming like it would fall asleep any second.

"It's so beautiful…" Tommy and Brach said at the same time, leaning against each other for support.

"It sounds amazing, col," Luna agreed, landing on top of Brach's head.

"What is going on?" Axl questioned the situation around him.

"Oh yeah, ari!" Galaxy shouted from her place on the ground. "I feel like I could take down all the Kuroihoshi, ari!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Blue Gemini gave the ram a thumbs up. All other Cures were glowing with a white aura around him.

Libra then placed both of her hands on her badge. Purple light shone off it. She then pulled two pearls – one white and one black – out of her hair. "Libra Chains!" She threw the two pearls as hard as she could. The white one landed on the Kuroihoshi's right wrist while the left one landed on the opposite wrist. The pearls then turned into rings of purple light around his wrists. The Kuroihoshi looked in confusion for a moment before its wrists were suddenly stuck together above its head. It tried its hardest to free them, but to no avail.

"Now would be a great time to finish it off," Virgo told the other Cures from her perch. The three nodded in agreement. All three of them placed their on their badges. Pink shone off Sagittarius's while green shone off Gemini's.

The two Geminis went back to back, spinning around while the wind whipped towards them and then condensed between their hands in front of them, turning it into a green ball of light. Grasping one hand, they used the other to bring the balls above them and merge it into one. The two then brought it down in front of them. Sagittarius lifted up her right hand. Light that was all different kinds of colors came to her hand to form a sphere as the cloth hanging from her wrist was glowing rainbow. She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky.

"Gemini Twister!"

"Sagittarius Burst!"

The light that Gemini held out in front of them suddenly turned into a green-colored twister. Sagittarius brought down her thumb, the same rainbow-colored light coming out of the tips of her middle and pointer fingers. Both attacks were heading at the Kuroishoshi and hit right on their marks.

"KUROIHOSHI ANTILA!" the monster screamed in pain. It then exploded. The boys protected themselves from the explosion, but were unharmed from it along with everything else in the blast zone. They then noticed that everything that had gotten damaged in the fighting was suddenly repaired. In the blast's epicenter was a glowing power and a broken bike pump in its place.

"This is the power of Pretty Cure?" Axl asked.

"And this isn't even Pretty Cure's full power, ari," Galaxy confirmed as Virgo landed next to the others. "Once everyone is gathered, you can see the true power of Pretty Cure then, ari." Brach whistled in awe. Before Luna could do her job and get the power, Lyra suddenly showed up.

"So, you've appeared," she smirked. "I guess I'll just have to take this power with me."

"So you're holding Lyra's power?" Virgo asked, but said more as a statement. "You don't have much time before-"

"Zip it you oversized bird," Lyra smirked at her. Libra had to grab onto a suddenly very, very angry Virgo as to not have her do something that she would regret. Lyra reached down and grabbed the power. "For now, I'm taking this power back." She then started laughing before she disappeared.

"…What was that all about?"

"For now, everyone, we need to pretend to be ordinary citizens," Libra told them. "Let's get back into place before the police arrive and we'll explain everything after they've done their investigation."

Everyone nodded. The Cures ran into an alley way to change back to normal while the boys quickly followed them as the police sirens were starting to be heard. All of them were curious about how much was going on.

* * *

"My name is Gabriella, Captain of the Guard to the God Ichos and his wife, the Goddess Armonia," the angel introduced herself after everyone else did.

"You can call me Joanna Smith," the old woman told the others.

"And I'm Galaxy, ari," the blue ram fairy told everyone.

The big group sat around a Japanese grill on the other side of town. Everyone had food in front of them with only Stephanie eating like she needed to eat as much as possible now.

"So, how long have you been Pretty Cure and how many others are out there?" Rose asked.

"There are four of us that have been part of Pretty Cure Zodiac for some time," the angel told them. "I'll give you more details when everyone's been found, but I've been around the longest as Cure Virgo. Joanna Smith – _as she likes to be called nowadays_ ," the old woman only grinned at that statement, "has been around the second longest as Cure Libra."

"There's also Cure Cancer whom I believe is already here," Joanna asked Stephanie as she devoured some teriyaki chicken.

"Yehp!" she replied with her mouth full of food.

"And there's also Cure Aries," Joanna finished. "She likes to have dramatic flare, so she'll probably show herself when the drama is at its greatest."

"I guess she does like that sort of stuff, huh, ari," Galaxy looked up into the air.

"Since Comet finding Cure Leo, that only leaves the Scorpio, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces key sets, col," Luna told everyone.

"And with the 12 Zodiac powers all accounted for, the Columbus and Ursa Minor powers never being taken, and you guys recapturing two powers already, that leaves 71 powers still in this Camerina's hands," Joanna did the Math quickly.

"That's a lot of different powers," Axl thought. He then shot a wicked smirked at Rose. "At this rate, you'll be at it all summer. There'll be no time for video games or cartoons or that convention you want to go to…"

"Don't remind me…" Rose cried. She then suddenly stopped. "By the way, since you guys know, we should probably vote on whether to tell the others or not."

"Good idea," Brach nodded. He, Tommy, Axl, Stephanie, and Rose all leaned in. "On the count of three. One, two, three,

"Not unless we have to," they all said at the same time. They all then sighed in relief.

"What was that about?" Gabriella leaned towards Joanna, looking for an answer.

"You'll know in time…" she said cryptically. Gabriella pouted at her best friend. "Besides, isn't the question that should be asked is Rose the human that is dating your younger brother?"

"WHAAAAA?!" the entire table yelled out at the exact same time.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_


	5. Rising From Hell Comes Scorpio!

Both Hercules and Lyra were kneeling in front of Camerina. The vile woman was sitting on her throne just looking at her nails. The entire place had an eerie atmosphere to it with the sky being an ugly purple with little to nothing in the way of décor. It creeped both Hercules and Lyra out whenever they stepped foot into this realm, but things were the way things were. However, something very important needed to be discussed today.

"Lady Camerina, if I may," Hercules spoke up. She stopped focusing on her nails and looked at him. "The Pretty Cure Zodiac is continuing to grow in numbers and in strength. If this keeps progressing the way it is, I fear we may struggle more than we already are."

"While we disagree on many things, I agree with him in this case," Lyra added.

"Everything is going as planned," Camerina reassured them. "Even with those Cures that have been doing this for a long time will not make a difference in the long run. Besides…" She looked away from the two with a diabolical smirk adorning her features. "I found some more… people who can control one of the powers."

The two looked at each other, shocked that they were not the only two that could control the powers of the stars. "Which powers?" Lyra asked.

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

Gia and Anna were hanging out at the park with two of their friends while Lana and Nina were looking around elsewhere with Comet for any new Cures. The girls were having a fun time in general, laughing at each other's jokes and listening to each other's stories.

Both girls were slightly shorter than Anna. The one girl was of Japanese descent, but had striking aqua green eyes instead of brown and her bangs were teal in color while the rest of her mid-back length hair was black. She had on the local school's softball outfit on and was wearing teal leggings underneath of them. The other girl was albino with her hair short and wearing black fish nets, stiletto boots, mini skirt, tank top, and gloves.

"Sorry, guys, but I have a game in a couple of hours and I have to go start getting ready," the Japanese-looking one told them.

"Good luck in the game today, Lori!" Anna wished her. Lori waved good bye to everyone as she started running towards the baseball game.

"Why isn't this a surprise?" a voice said from the other side of the table. The girls looked to see Lana, Comet (being carried by the vampire along with a black, lace umbrella), and Nina walking up to them. Nina stared at the albino girl before trying a smile.

"Hello," Nina said. "My name is Nina." She held out her hand. "It is very nice to meet you." The albino smirked in return.

"Name's Eva. Eva Dantevium," she introduced herself. Eva grabbed Nina's hand and shook it. Nina looked at Lana for confirmation and got it with a thumbs up. Nina's grin could practically outshine the sun.

"Guys, umi!" Comet semi-shouted as he jumped onto the table. Eva's eyes widened and looked to what she thought was a stuffed panda bear while everyone just turned their heads to the fairy. He was holding a pair of keys on a key ring and they were glowing black. "She's a Pretty Cure, umi!"

"Th-th-that bear is talking…" Eva stuttered when they all turned towards her.

"No… way…" Gia answers to Comet's statement.

"Unbelievable…" Anna added.

"H-how is this possible?!" Eva shouted at them.

"I'll explain everything," Lana tells her. "Let's find a table."

* * *

After some time had passed, all of the girls had ice cream in front of them in various states of being eaten. Nina was still eating hers and wasn't paying attention at all to what was being said, already having heard it before. However, when Eva spoke, it really caught her attention.

"No," Eva answered. "I-I can't. Get someone else to do it. I'm just going to go home and forget any of this happened at all." She got up and started to leave.

"If I could do it, I would've already," Anna stood up. Eva turned around, startled at what Anna said. "But I can't and it's killing me having to stand on the sidelines knowing that I can't actually help out. I wish I could do this for you and you can go on with your life, but you're the only one who can wield this power. Please, Eva…" Eva looked away and stared at the ground.

"But if I fight, you'll see the true me and you'll be scared of me," she whispered to herself. Nina was sure that the only one who heard it besides herself was Lana, but she was the one who spoke up with "What do you mean your true you?"

She watched as Eva tensed up, her fists clenched tight. The instincts that remained in this new form of hers had her tensing up in a similar way, preparing for a fight if it came to it.

Suddenly, she sensed two other people near the group, looking at them. She quickly turned her head and looked at what appeared to be a human, teenage boy not much older than any of them were. The blonde boy was wearing a yellow-orange kimono that faded to red at the sleeves and bottom. Nina started growling without even realizing it. This caused everyone else to turn towards him.

"So, you are the Pretty Cure?" the boy asked as he cracked his neck. "Which ones are you?"

"Why do you want to know?" Lana smirked. "No, really, I'm curious; tell me why you want to know, Phoenix."

"My… sister…" the boy, apparently Phoenix, struggled to keep secret. He gritted his teeth, trying his hardest to fight off Lana's powers. "I-it's none of YOUR BUSINESS!"

"Yep, you are definitely not cut out for your powers," Lana told them as she put her umbrella away. "My question is are you going to attack us?"

"Of course," Phoenix answered.

"Alright then," Gia breathed in as she took out her keys. Lana and Nina followed suit. The bronze keys were detached from the rings as the latter and the extra key were thrown into the air. They then transformed into magical arrays: red for Gia, orange for Lana, and bright brown for Nina.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" They pushed the keys into the keyholes that appeared in the center of the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays broke apart into many pieces.

Gia's clothing teleported off of her, being replaced by her Pretty Cure ones. Red light then also changed her hair color and style as well as gave her all of her accessories. Lana kicked the ground and lava started covering her, changing her clothe and her hair as it passed over every inch of her. Petals flew around Nina, transforming her clothing into her Pretty Cure outfit as her hair morphed into twin bun.

When all three had transformed, they placed the key ring with keys on their right hips. They then placed their hands over the left side of their chest, the badge appearing in a flash of their respective colors light.

"The bull, charging through this dimension!" Gia yelled out loud, gripping her hand, punching forward. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Taurus!" Red light gleamed off of her badge for a moment.

"The crab, swimming through the life of the world!" Lana yelled out loud, flipping over once before striking a pose similar to the Statue of Liberty. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Cancer!" A small amount of lava erupted from behind her.

"The lion, king of the jungle and all of nature!" Nina yelled out loud, spinning once while striking an air of royalty to it. She then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Leo!" Petals blew around her momentarily.

"She's not here," Phoenix said, sounding disappointed after he heard everyone introduce themselves. However, he had no time to do anything else as Leo launched herself at him. He barely had time to block the palm strike aimed at his face.

Leo grimaced as she launched herself backwards. Cancer launched herself forward next, a roundhouse kick aimed at his back. Phoenix took the brunt of the kick, not being able to dodge it in time. Taurus came in last, hitting his jaw with an upper cut punch. Phoenix managed to recover in time to avoid getting hit with Cancer's follow up punch, but wasn't lucky enough to stop Leo's scratch against his face. It left an angry mark on the left side of his face.

Leo placed her hands on her badge. A light brown light shone off of it. Petals started spinning around Leo again. She seemed to bend them to her will, all of the petals floating up above her pointer finger. "Leo Ruling!" She then pointed at the slightly older-looking boy she was facing. The petals moved towards the giraffe on a fierce, invisible, intangible wind.

In retaliation, Phoenix held up his hand. Fire came out of it and headed towards the petals. The poor things burned up before they even got close to him. Leo growled in anger before going back in with both Taurus and Cancer.

"Why does he look familiar?" Anna asked herself. She then looked at Eva. The poor teenager was shaking and was looking at the ground. Anna couldn't tell what she was feeling at all. "Eva, are you okay?"

"Give me the keys…" Eva whispered. "Give me the keys," she said again, but this time with more of a growl to her voice.

"O-okay…" Comet was suddenly scared and confused about why she would suddenly want the keys when she said no earlier, but did as the girl said. When he threw the keys up to her. She caught them with more force than necessary. She looked up, having a wicked grin on her face. She tore off the bronze key just like she saw the other three do earlier. She threw up the other key and ring. A black array appeared in front of her.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" She pushed the keys into the keyhole that appeared in the center of the array. "Star Power!" She turned the key. The array broke apart into many pieces.

The group stopped fighting. Looking over, everyone stared at what Eva was doing. Lana in particular muttered to herself, asking no one in particular what changed the girl's mind.

"Is it her?" Phoenix asked himself.

Black fire ignited in both of Eva's hands after she snapped her fingers. As she spun around, the fire quickly covered her arms and then her entire body. The fire first started dispersing around her feet. As the fire quickly disappeared, her feet were shown to be wearing boots. They were white and ankle length with the heel and toe being black. The top part was overturned, revealing the red inside. A black bow was attached at the point where it was overturned, a gold symbol of a constellation attached to it. The fire continued to disappear, revealing mid-thigh length black socks.

The fire from her hands went away next. On her arms were white arm warmers that went just past her elbow. On her wrists were three rows of black beads. The fire around her face also disappeared. It then ebbed away from her neck and ears, revealing her gold, star earrings and her black choker. The fire then went down her still white hair. It was now short and spikey with the spikes flowing more to her left. The black fire continued going down her hair, revealing a tight braid that went down to past where the remaining black fire was on her body.

Eva posed like a character from a cartoon powering up. After a second of doing that, the rest of the black fire was expelled off of her body. Her skirt was black with the bottom of the skirt as well as the top being red. There were also many red petticoats underneath the black skirt. Her black shirt was short and revealed her middle. The bottom, V neck, and loose sleeves (that stopped just before it reached the arm warmers) ended. There were also red lines sewn in where the main part of her shirt and the sleeves connected. The back was also open, attached at the top and at the bottom

She then placed the keys and the key ring on her right hip, right at the top of her skirt. She then placed both hands on the left side of her chest. When she removed them, the badge all of the other Cures wore in a flash of black light.

"The scorpion, controlling the dark flames of hell!" Eva said. She snapped her fingers, a small, black flame on her finger tip. She blew it out and then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Scorpio!" Black flames started burning behind her.

"Not her, either," Phoenix said again.

"What do you mean by that?" Cancer asked Phoenix, apparently hearing him whisper to himself. She tried once more to use her powers on him. "Are you looking for one Cure in particular?"

"I… am… l-l-l… not going to ANSWER TO YOU!" Phoenix replied by knocking away Cancer and then Leo and Taurus when they went to attack as well. Suddenly, Scorpio was there and had landed a punch on Phoenix. Everyone is shocked at what they see.

Scorpio is wearing the most gleeful and wicked smile on her face. Her red eyes are practically glowing with joy and the power she now wielded. Her next punch is laced with black flames on them as she winds it to strike Phoenix. Phoenix catches it with his own normal-colored flame-covered hand.

Scorpio's grin turns more into a grimace as she then tries to roundhouse kick him, however, Phoenix jumped away from her before it connected. Both Leo and Cancer both tried punching him on the sides, but he caught both of their punches before they did anything. Both Taurus and Scorpio were then able to work together to flying side kick him in the chest and the back at the exact same time.

All the girls backed up from that. Before he could recover, Leo went in again, trading blows with an injured Phoenix. Taurus soon joined in, the two working together to slowly start overwhelming Phoenix. Phoenix then yelled out loud. A bright fire shot out of him, throwing the two girls to the side with minor burns on their skin and their clothes.

Instead of trying to fight against Phoenix again, Cancer looked at Scorpio. The girl was looking down at the ground, giggling for all she was worth. She then looked up to the sky. She started laughing like a maniac. Cancer jumped back when, all of a sudden Scorpio changed.

Bat-like wings sprung out of her back. A black tail came out from under her skirt. Her nails lengthened enough to make them look like claws. Her canines had sharpened to make them look like Cancer's own. Her pupils also looked more like that of a cat's. In short, she looked and smelled like a nothing she had ever smelled before, being similar and yet different to different scents she had gathered over the years.

Scorpio licked her lips as everyone stared at her – some in confusion, some in fear. "Give me a good fight," she told Phoenix gleefully. A weird echo was also heard in her voice.

Phoenix looked warily at her, but both hands were covered in fire in order to fight her. Wings sprung up on his back as well. However, his were made of pure fire. He then jumped towards Scorpio, gliding towards her. Scorpio just smiled and jumped right back towards him.

The two traded blows as they climbed higher and higher in the sky. Anna and Comet took this chance to run over to the other three. Comet looked absolutely terrified while Anna only looked concerned for her friend.

"What happened to Eva?" she asked Cancer.

"When she transformed, I was able to catch her scent," Cancer replied. "She doesn't smell like a human or a demon, but she smelled like both of them at the same time."

"Are you saying that Eva is part demon?" Taurus asked.

"I'm not sure, but it's entirely possible," Cancer answered.

Suddenly, Phoenix came careening towards the ground. He hit it hard. After a few seconds, he tried getting up from the ground. Scorpio just chuckled before placing both hands on the badge she wore. Cancer quickly did the same.

Black flames came out from her chest and started making a ring around her. She then lifted the ring so that it was above her head. "Scorpio Underworld!" She then threw the ring at Phoenix. He prepared to block when all of a sudden-

"Cancer Eruption!" Cancer yelled out loud. Many spheres of lava made their way towards Phoenix and were going to reach him first due to Cancer being closer than Scorpio. Phoenix blocked the lava with his arms, but wasn't quick enough to also block the other attack. The black ring of fire encircled him completely before he was consumed in black flames.

He screamed in pain. Everyone looked horrified, never seeing someone suffer like this. Scorpio, unlike the others started laughing but then started quieting down once again. She then looked at her hands like they had betrayed her as Phoenix's screams slowly became quieter and he felt to the ground.

"No, no, not again…" she muttered to herself as she landed gracefully on her feet. However, they could not hold her weight and instead she ended up on her knees. "Why? Why?" She covered her eyes with her hands as she started crying. Her wings encircled her and her tail wrapped itself around her.

"…Eva?" Anna asked as she slowly got closer to her friend. "Eva, are you alright?"

"Get away from me!" she yelled out with all of her might. The sheer volume of her voice made everyone flinch and it made Comet go scrambling behind Leo for protection. "You know what I'm like. I-I'm a monster. I hurt people. I lose control of myself whenever I see a fight. Just…" Her clothes and hair glowed black before changing back to their normal state. However, the wings and tail remained. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

She threw the keys that were now in her hands towards Cancer who caught them with ease. She then turned to fly away when Anna ran up and grabbed her wrist with both of her hands. Eva tried pulling away with only a fraction of her strength, but Anna's grip didn't loosen. "LET ME GO!"

"NO!" Anna yelled back with as much ferocity as she could. "You're my friend and you're hurting and I can't leave you alone especially right now!" Eva stopped trying to get away and focused on her friend. "Eva, it doesn't matter to me that you're different. You're still the person who wears too much leather for not being in a metal band. You're still the person that loves strawberry sundaes so much you'll eat at least one every day. You're still the person who tries to be the best that she can be.

"You're still Eva and that's all that matters."

Eva was still crying and shaking with it, but Anna drew her into a friendly hug and she hugged her back as if Anna was a raft in the middle of an endless sea. Taurus slowly made her way over as well. Cancer and Leo watched the scene play out while Comet slowly looked out from behind Leo. Cancer then looked over to where Phoenix was at and Leo ended up looking at her.

Suddenly, Phoenix's body was engulfed in normal-colored flames. Everyone flinched, looking at him while he did so. He rose off of the ground slowly like a zombie coming back to life. He then started at the girls as the flames died on his body.

"The power of Scorpio is the flames of the destruction while Phoenix's is the flames of life," Cancer calmly recited from memory. "However Scorpio's power has found someone worthy of wielding those dangerous flames and Phoenix's power has not. I can already tell you're struggling to keep this power in check. How much longer will you last?"

"As long as I can complete my task before then, I will be fine," Phoenix replied before summoning his wings again. He quickly flies off on them and disappears before he gets too far. No one gives chase after him.

"Eva?" someone asks. The group turns to see an older woman walking towards them. Taurus and Leo start and Comet freezes. The others are ready to run away until Eva says something that makes them stay.

"Mom?"

"Eva, are you okay?" her mom asks. Eva lets go of Anna and quickly hugs her mother instead. Everyone watches, wondering how long the woman had been watching. Eva apologizes to her mother while the two embrace each other.

"Ms. Dantevium," Cancer is the one to ruin the moment. The older woman looks at the vampire. "What are you?" The woman looks down at her daughter before looking over towards Cancer again.

"I guess since you saw and you took care of that demon, I can tell you," Ms. Dantevium told them. "I'm human, but my daughter's father, he was a very powerful fire demon." Eva visibly tensed at the word demon.

"I see," Cancer said again. "I have never met your daughter until today, but I can tell that she is a good person despite the fact that she is not fully human." She then looked at Anna. "Her friend, Anna, appears to have just found out today and is someone that accepts your daughter for what she is. I am sure that our group is one that will accept your daughter with open arms. That is…" She then held out the keys that Eva threw at her earlier and turned her attention to said girl. "If Eva wants to be part of our group."

Eva let go of her mother to stare at the keys that were being offered to her. She slowly reached out and took the keys being offered. She felt her demon blood finally calm down, the wings and tail disappearing while her nails and eyes went back to normal.

"Thank you," Eva told them. Cancer then walked closer to Ms. Dantevium and looked into her eyes.

"You cannot tell anyone who the Pretty Cure is or share information with them that they don't already about the Pretty Cure that does not have a set of these keys," Cancer told the woman, showing the mother her own set. "You also cannot record anything about the Pretty Cure. If you try to, you will fall unconscious for a few hours, understand?"

"I understand," Ms. Dantevium said, her voice holding no emotion whatsoever.

"What did you do to my mother?" Eva asked Cancer. Cancer's clothing and hair turned orange before she turned back into her regular clothes. Ms. Dantevium was worried as well, looking at the seemingly younger girl with the unspoken question in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but it was for our safety," Lana replied as she placed her sunglasses on her face and reopened her umbrella. "I don't like taking any chances when it comes to secrets. Besides, not all of the Pretty Cure is human. Most are not in fact." She turned to Leo as she turned back into her normal human form. "The other Cures can tell you what they are when you meet them, but I am a vampire, Nina, despite her looks, is in fact a lion and your friend Gia here is a Hylian."

 _But what is a Hylian?_ Gia asked herself, not wanting to ask the question out loud. However, seeing the look of relief on her friend's and her friend's mother's faces made her decide to not ask that question right now.

What no one in the group notice was a girl in all silver watching them. What was notable about her was the badge she wore on the left side of her chest.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

* * *

Rose was still trembling from what had happened at the restaurant yesterday. Honestly, Axl couldn't blame her. Gabriella was scary when it came to her younger siblings, but Rose and the rest of their siblings were the same way when it came to the younger cousins, so he at least had a base of reference to go off of.

"Now I know how Popo and Nana feel," Rose told Axl.

"Yeah, she chewed you out good," Axl smirked at his younger sister. A tremor went through her. "C'mon, Rose, she's only worried for him."

"I know that, but still…" Axl thought about what he could do to cheer up his younger sister.

The easiest way would be to have her play a video game cooperatively, even though he wasn't into playing them himself and was content enough just watching someone else play a game. "Hey, do you want to play some Super Smash Brothers Brawl?" he asked. "Or maybe that new Pikmin game that you just got from Japan a few days ago? I bet Olimar's story is really interesting…"

"Pikmin…" Rose said out loud, finally stopping trembling. "Yeah, let's play co-op mode."

"You got it!" Axl smirked. He went over to put the disk in and turn the TV on. "Oh yeah, I'm meeting up with Joanna tomorrow. She said she had something very important to tell me."

"Really?" Rose questioned. "That's strange. We only just met her yesterday." She then stopped to think. "Could it be… Could she know what you really are?"

That had never occurred to Axl before his sister had brought it up. Axl knew he wasn't like Rose or his other two siblings. Of course, he was adopted, but there was even more than that as to why he could never be like his siblings. For someone outside his siblings, his group of friends, and his small circle of knowing family was something that scared him.

However, he didn't let it show. Instead, he just gave Rose the biggest grin he could muster. "Well, if she tries anything fishy, I'll get out of there before you can say Maverick."

The worried look on his sister's face didn't disappear entirely, but it was as good as he was going to get at this point. He grabbed the necessary controllers and gave one set to Rose before they both buckled down and started playing the game.

He'd done enough worrying in his life to last three lifetimes. For now, he could enjoy life with something he never thought he would want let alone have, his family.


	6. Aries Appears! The Reveal of Capricorn!

**A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

June 14th at 11:00 right outside of a porta potty in an abandoned alley. Just like Joanna said. He looked around, not seeing anyone but the few people walking around the street most likely looking for an early lunch. Rose had gone with Luna to search for more Cures with Tommy and Brach. Axl smirked as he imagined the trio playing video games the entire time while Luna was out doing all of the actual work.

"Why there you are!" a voice broke him out of his thoughts. He turned around to see Joanna standing behind him. "Ya know, ya could've just knocked, luv." Axl raised an eyebrow at her statement. "Well, that doesn't matter, Ah guess. Come on, follow me, luv." Axl didn't say anything, but followed her out of the alley and into the busy streets.

The porta potty then opened up and the girl with blue hair walked out of it. There was a look of relief on her face and a piece of toilet paper attached to her white heels.

"That needed to happen," the girl sighed in relief. "Now, to find more Cures." As she started walking, she reached into her pocket and felt around in it. She suddenly stopped, her eyes widening. She looked down to actually look into her pocket.

"I'm missing a set of keys!" she started panicking. She then realized something. "Joanna."

* * *

Joanna sat at a little cafe with a cup of tea. Axl had ordered nothing. The elderly woman sipped at her tea cup before looking Axl in the eye.

"The reason Ah asked you to come talk to me today was so that Ah could tell ya a story," Joanna confessed.

"A story?" Axl replied.

The woman nodded. "This story, believe it or not, takes place on a world connected to this one." Axl's eyes widened at the prospect of going to another world. "The Pretty Cure Zodiac, which only consisted of myself, Gabriella, Lana, and Naga at the time, was ordered by Queen Starcy to go to this world because of a few powers getting into the hands of only partial matches. To say we were stunned at what we saw would be a big understatement.

"This world was very different from this one, however. While humans do live there, it was a world that was over 100 years ahead of this one and its technology was much more advanced. Heck, when we arrived, these robots called Reploids had already become popular. Of course, we also had to be weary of Mavericks, but that wasn't too big of a problem for us." She then started rambling on and on about the different components of a Reploid and a Maverick and how they were similar and different.

Axl's eyes widened even further at the information Joanna was giving him, but probably not for the reasons Joanna was thinking. Every word she used that would've been confusing to a normal person was a part of his regular vocabulary. Reploid – a robot that could think and feel exactly like a human being. Maverick – a Reploid that was overtaken by a virus that caused them to attack humans and other Reploids.

What else did she know about that world?

"Oops, Ah got off topic there for a bit," she apologized. "Now, where was Ah? Oh yes! While we were there, our fairy companion at the time, Cosmic of the Cygnus tribe, found a local that was a match for one of the constellations. However, before we learned their name, he had passed away of old age. We wondered for a time of who got the powers of a Pretty Cure. A few times, she had appeared to help us out, but she was a shy thing and would never stay long after a battle.

"After one particularly tough battle, our newest ally had some bad injuries that needed to be taken care of immediately. Of course, being the shy thing she was, Ah followed her after the battle and was able to find her. Ah took her back to ma home after the battle and there Ah learned who she – or perhaps rather, what he – really was."

"Joanna!" a girl with blue hair ran up to the elderly lady. "There's a Kuroihoshi nearby!" Joanna gulped down the last of her tea and stood up quickly.

"Ah'll finish the story later, luv," Joanna told Axl as she stood up. "Be back in a tick." She then walked off with the blue haired girl running off ahead of her, telling her to go ahead and that she would be there as soon as she was able. She took a set of keys out of her pocket.

Axl watched the two go off to fight one of the Kuroihoshi that were appearing in town. Since Rose was in town, she would probably help out with fighting this Kuroihoshi as well. If Chloe had to work today, she and Stephanie would also be taking part in the fight. There was also Taurus, Cancer, and Leo – the three Cures he did not know about – that could come and help out with the fight along with them. There was also Gabriella and possibly the elusive Aries...

Axl wished that he could help out. It wasn't in his nature to just sit out and let others do all the work. However, he remembered something Rose telling him that about the things the Kuroihoshis she had defeated possessed: a wig, an air pump (which he saw), and a human man. Axl could never hurt a person. He just couldn't even possibly think of hurting someone; it had been off the table for as long as he existed.

As he looked down at the table, he saw that a set of keys not unlike his sister's were left behind. He picked them up, knowing that he saw Joanna's as she was walking off. Could it be the other girl's keys? She had to be a Pretty Cure if she knew the name of the Kuroihoshi AND knew who Joanna really was. But Axl didn't even hear her drop anything…

Wait, the story Joanna was telling. Could it be… It had to be…

He shook the thoughts that plagued his mind, grabbed the keys, and started running towards the battle. He starts glowing as he runs in the direction of the battle.

* * *

Cure Sagittarius was already fighting off the Kuroihoshi when the blue haired girl arrived. Tommy, Brach, and Luna were watching from the sidelines as all of the normal civilians had already cleared out when she arrived. This time, the Kuroihoshi was a gigantic, demonic-looking bear. It's big paw blocked a kick that was meant for its head. It pushed the Cure away, hoping that she would fall on the ground. However, Sagittarius landed right on her feet like a cat and skidded to a stop.

"You can do it, Cure Sagittarius, col!" Luna shouted from her place on the sidelines.

The bluenette pulled out a set of keys that was dangling from the blue jean overall skirt she was wearing. She threw the other key and the ring into the air. The key and ring turned into sky blue, magical array. "Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" She then pushed the key into the center of the array so a key hole would appear there. "Star Power!" She turned the key and the array broke apart into many pieces.

Sky blue glitter started swirling around her. It started flying around her clothes. Her overall skirt and white t-shirt started glowing sky blue. When the light came off of it, her clothes had transformed into a sky blue skirt with the top part around the waist covered in white wool, a short, sky blue parka that also had wool going around her shoulders that revealed her stomach, and short, blue, biker shorts and a same colored top underneath the parka. Glitter then made its way into her hair, at the bottom of her ears, and her neck. The glitter quickly became dangling, gold star earrings, a sky blue choker, and a gold circlet with a dangling oval with a star carved into it in a flash of blue light.

The glitter then surrounded her calves and feet. When they came together in a flash of blue light, she had on high heels that were a beautiful shade of blue. Ribbons of the same color wrapped up her legs crossing over in the front four times before tying off at the top with a white ribbon with the gold symbol of a constellation pinning it together. Her arms were last, the blue glitter coming together to form thin, white arm warmers that went up to her elbows and a bracelet of blue beads on each of her wrists.

She put her key ring and two keys on her right hip. She then placed both of her hands on the left side of her chest, forming the badge all Cures wore in a flash of sky blue light when she took her hands away.

"Dude, look," Brach took Tommy's and Luna's attention away from the fighting and towards the newly transformed Pretty Cure.

"Whose that?" Tommy asked, despite knowing he was going to get the answer in a moment.

"The ram, protecting all from the mountaintop!" she declared. She spun around a few times, sky blue glitter flying off of her hands as she did so. "Cure Aries!" The glitter exploded like fireworks before disappearing from sight.

"Cure Aries!" Sagittarius landed right next to the Cure she fought with when she got her powers. "You're back."

"Let's take the big guy down," Aries nodded.

"Not without me you're not," a voice said. Joanna had finally caught up with them with Aries noticing that the same porta potty that was in the alley was now sitting on the corner of the street.

"You're so lazy you couldn't even walk the entire way?" Aries asked the elderly woman.

"Don't be talkin' to ya elders like tha'!" Joanna yelled at the younger girl, her accent becoming heavier with her getting worked up. "Besides, Ah'm an old lady. Ah don't run."

"Um, a little help here?" Sagittarius asked. She was standing beneath the Kuroihoshi's paw, holding it up with her hands, her legs shaking as she was trying not to get squished underneath of it.

"SAGITTARIUS!" Tommy and Brach cried from the sidelines, worried for their friend.

"Hyah!" Aries cried out as she kicked the Kuroihoshi away from her teammate. Joanna took this time to grab her set of keys and pulled the bronze one off the ring. She spun it in the air and it turned into an array in front of her.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac! Star Power!" she yelled out as she placed the key into the array and then turned it. The light purple array broke apart into many pieces. She was wrapped up in said light, becoming a teenager with different colored hair and eyes and clothed in her Pretty Cure outfit when it had dispersed around her. She placed the keys on her right hip before placing both hands on the left side of her chest, the badge appearing in a light purple light once removed.

"The scales that judge the fates of all!" she declared with a finger on her chin. She then posed. "Cure Libra!"

"Let's do this, girls!" Sagittarius declared. The other two Cures nodded and they charged at the Kuroihoshi.

"KUROIHOSHI URSA MAJOR!" it yelled before charging at the incoming Cures. When it tried to punch at Sagittarius again, Aries slapped its paw away. This gave Libra a chance to jump on the Kuroihoshi's arm. She ran towards it and then attempted to kick it in the head. While there was a loud sound that she did indeed kick it with everything she had, the monstrous bear turned its head towards her, somehow giving her an evil smirk.

"Wha'?" Libra asked, confused for only a moment.

"KUROIHOSHI URSA MAJOR!" the bear screamed as it backhanded Libra away from it. She landed on her back near Tommy, Brach, and Luna. The two boys immediately bent down on either side of her to help her back up while Luna flew down to stand on the ground next to Tommy.

"Are you alright, Libra, col?" Luna asked, her face contorted in worry.

"Ah'll be fine," Libra said as she continued to stand up with the help from the boys. The group watched as both Sagittarius and Aries continued to try and take down the Kuroihoshi.

Before either knew it, both Cures were flung to the side. The Kuroihoshi roared in supposed victory before continuing to destroy buildings as it walked down the street.

"This one must've been a partial match," Libra realized. Sagittarius looked over at her, wondering what she was talking about.

"Those of the Zodiac can completely control the powers granted to them from the Star Tribes; that's what the Zodiac Badge stands for," Aries explained as the two struggled to get up. "The ones we've been fighting so far are ones that should not have had those powers in the first place and were basically taken over by that power. This one can use the powers of the Ursa Major Tribe, but was overtaken because she wasn't truly meant to wield that power."

"So what's Ursa Major's powers?" Sagittarius asked.

"Super toughness," Libra answered while walking up to her teammates. "This Kuroihoshi will be very hard to defeat with only three of us and I have no idea if the others will get here at all."

"What do we do?" Aries questioned.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" everyone turned to see some strange woman in metal clothing, wearing some sort of white material where skin would've been showing sans her face, bronze key inside of a yellow, magical array with a Zodiac symbol in the middle of it. However, it appeared as if Libra is smiling slightly.

"IRIS?!" Sagittarius, Brach, and Tommy all yell out in alarm.

"WAIT, THAT'S HER NAME?!" Aries yelled at them, recognizing the person but not knowing the name.

"Star Power!" the woman, Iris, said as she turned the key. The yellow array broke apart into many pieces.

Lightning then struck her. However, it did not damage Iris, but instead left her with electricity coursing along the outside of her. Electricity surged in and out of her body at different points. It first started with her head. Her long, practically ankle length brown hair became yellow at the tips, the blonde going from about half an inch in her bangs to about half a foot in her long, thick pony tail. The metal scrunchy that tied her hair at the halfway point had also changed from blue to yellow and the yellow bumps on it turned to gold stars. The beret sitting on her head also changed from red to a light purple and the pin on it changed to a gold star. A small amount also went into the choker that doubled as the top of her dress, making it yellow.

Electricity then pooled into Iris's metal dress. Her dress's color changed from blue and red to yellow all over which included the pink, puffy sleeves. The yellow and red, cone-shaped accents on the skirt (that looked like a hoop skirt that ended above the knees) also changed to purple which was the same for the lines going down the middle of the body of the dress, along the top of her chest, and at the beginning and end of the sleeves. The belt across her chest changed to a purple ribbon that tied into a bow in the back. The excess dangled about half way down the skirt.

The metal leg warmers and shoes on her legs and feet changed when the lighting pooled into them. They changed into a white, cloth version of leg warmers that had yellow lined at the top and the bottom. There was also a light purple ribbon on the top being pinned down by her constellation. Her shoes also changed into white, high heel boots with the toe and heel being yellow in color, the tops being hidden by the leg warmers. The giant, metal gauntlets on her forearms turned into lighting and fled her arms, leaving only a row of purple beads on each of her wrists.

She placed the key ring on the purple ribbon on the right side. She then placed both hands on the left side of her chest. When she removed them, a badge that was just like the one the others wore appeared in a flash of yellow light.

"The goat, sailing through the storming seas!" Iris said while pointing towards the nearest, far away ocean. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation. "Cure Capricorn!" Lightning then struck the ground behind her.

"Capricorn!" Aries yelled out in joy. She ran over towards Capricorn with a big smile on her face. "I'm so glad to see you again! How did you get your keys back? Did Libra give them back to you?" Capricorn only looked at Aries in confusion.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Aries's jaw dropped to the ground in shock. She didn't remember her?!

"Explanations later; we have a Kuroihoshi destroying the city!" Sagittarius yelled at them. She pointed to the Kuroihoshi still bashing every single building that was standing even near it. All four Cures jumped towards the monster. Luna started flying towards the monsters while Brach and Tommy ran after them. Luna overheard their conversation.

"How in the world did Iris get here?!" Tommy asked no one in particular. How in the world did they know this Cure?

"Why are you asking me that question?!" Brach retorted. "We can figure out that AFTER Sagittarius and the others defeat that Kuro-whatever-it-is!"

Sagittarius was the first to launch herself at the Kuroihoshi. She tried getting another punch in, but was smacked into a nearby office building instead. The Kuroihoshi then noticed the three Cures on the ground. It took its paw and shouted "KUROIHOSHI URSA MAJOR!" as it tried to squish the Cures.

In response, Aries placed her hands over her chest, a sky blue light shining out from it. She placed her hands above her head, blue glitter being drawn to them. "Aries Barrier!" She held her hands out in front of her, a somewhat see-through, sparkly, sky blue barrier appearing just in front of them. The paw connected with the barrier, immediately cracking under the pressure.

"My barrier won't survive another hit!" Aries told the other two. She pushed the barrier out as best as she could, making the Kuriohoshi stumble and fall on its behind. "We have to finish it off now!"

"Aries is right!" Sagittarius agreed as she landed on its stomach. "Let's hit it with all we got right now!" Aries dropped the barrier and she and Libra went running towards the Kuroihoshi. Capricorn, however, stayed right where she was at, staring at the ground. "Capricorn, what are you doing?!"

"Wh… When I running over here, I didn't think about it, but… What if the Kuroihoshi is a human?!" Sagittarius's eyes widened at those words.

"It can't be…" She whispered. Brach and Tommy looked at each other, apparently coming to a mutual understanding. At that moment, the Kuroihoshi smacked them all away from it. They landed on the ground next to Capricorn with scuffs, bruises, and bleeding cuts on all of them.

"I-I can't hurt a human being," Capricorn told them. Her fist clenched at her side. "I won't hurt a human!"

"What is wrong with you?!" Aries yelled at Capricorn, turning around to look at her. "That Kuroihoshi might kill someone if we don't take it down soon!"

"Sometimes," Sagittarius started talking to Capricorn as she slowly got back up. "No matter what we do, we're going to hurt someone. It's inevitable." She then placed a foot on the ground. "We can only hope that we're doing it for the right reasons. If this Kuroihoshi is human-" she turned towards Capricorn with a smile on her face. "We'll fight it so that we can save the person inside."

"Couldn't have said it better mahself," Libra agreed as she also got to her feet. "Let's try dazing it one more time." Aries nodded as she stood up. All three Cures threw themselves back at the Kuroihoshi. It managed to stop Aries and Libra with one paw, but Sagittarius kept going and managed to punch it near one of the eyes. Before she could blink, Capricorn also had taken a swing at the Kuroihoshi, having punched it below in the gut. She had apparently punched it so hard that it was trying to stay up on its feet.

"I don't like it, but if I can save a person by fighting them, if I don't do anything, I'll hate myself more than if I tried," Capricorn explained.

"Capricorn," Sagittarius smiled. All of the Cures kicked away from the Kuroihoshi, making it stumble even more.

"Now's our chance!" Libra then placed both of her hands on her badge. Purple light shone off it. She then pulled two pearls – one white and one black – out of her hair. "Libra Chains!" She threw the two pearls as hard as she could. The white one landed on the Kuroihoshi's right wrist while the left one landed on the opposite wrist. The pearls then turned into rings of purple light around his wrists. The Kuroihoshi looked in confusion for a moment before its wrists were suddenly stuck together above its head. It tried its hardest to free them, but to no avail. "Now, Sagittarius, Capricorn!" Both Cures nodded in affirmation.

Both Cures placed their hands on their badges. Pink light shone off of Sagittarius's while yellow light shone off Capricorn's. Sagittarius lifted up her right hand. Light that was all different kinds of colors came to her hand to form a sphere as the cloth hanging from her wrist was glowing rainbow. She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky.

"Sagittarius Burst!" She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky.

Capricorn crossed her hands above her head. Two pistols that looked like they came straight out a video game appeared in her hands. She aimed it at the Kuroihoshi. Lightning surged from her hands and into the barrel of the gun.

"Capricorn Bullet!" She pulled the trigger to many times to count in a second, many shots of little lightning bolts heading towards the Kuroihoshi.

"KUROIHOSHI URSA MAJOR!" it cried as both attacks continued to hit it without any mercy. It struggled against its restraints, trying to do something against the attack. However, the three of the four Cures started yelling, pushing even more of their power towards the Kuroihoshi.

It then exploded. Everything started to slowly repair itself. In the epicenter were an older, teenage girl and a light shining right next to her. Luna flew up to the power and took out one of the crystals. The power flew into it and then disappeared. Capricorn was soon right next to the girl, the guns having dematerialized. She gathered the girl in her arms and gently picked her up as if she was apologizing. She started walking towards the others.

"Are you alright?" Sagittarius asked the yellow Cure.

"I'm…" Capricorn looked at the girl in her arms. "I'm going to need some time." Sirens could be heard in the distance.

"We need to go," Libra told everyone. She started walking away from the scene with Aries following her. "We'll meet at the café we were at earlier, okay, Capricorn?" Capricorn nodded in response. Tommy and Brach started running in the direction of the café with Sagittarius as Luna also flew away. Before running after them, Capricorn carefully placed the teenage girl on a nearby bench.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you," Capricorn told her as her eyes started fluttering open. "I'm sorry I had to fight you. I don't expect your forgiveness, but I do hope that you're okay." Capricorn then started running away.

"Who… was… she…" the girl said out loud before fainting again.

* * *

Capricorn had caught up with the other four and all of them ran into an alley way near the café Joanna and Axl were at before the Kuroihoshi attacked. Both Sagittarius's and Capricorn's clothing and hair glowed their respective colors before transforming back into their civilian forms.

"Is that you, Axl?" Rose asked the woman they had originally called Iris.

"How could you tell?" the woman gave a big grin. She then started glowing. When the glowing died down, Iris had been replaced by Axl. Luna's jaw dropped at the sight of this happening, but Brach and Tommy had already figured it out as well.

"When did you become a Pretty Cure?" Tommy asked.

"I don't remember," Axl scratched the back of his head as the group walked towards the café. "That was actually what Joanna was talking to me about."

"She knew you?!" Brach said, stunned at what he was hearing. Rose and Tommy had similar faces.

"If she knew you, then Gabriella must know you, too, col!" Luna put two and two together.

"Actually, she doesn't." Everyone jumped to see Joanna and a bluenette standing beside her. The girl looked at Axl with sad eyes. "Gabriella, Lana, Naga, and Zi-Zi here only knew you as Capricorn; Ah was the only one who knew you as you, Axl, and even then Ah don't know much. You were a shy thing, but you were very good at fighting the Kuroihoshis. Ah also know you're a New Generation Reploid prototype – the last New Generation Reploid left actually."

"New Generation Reploid?" Zi-Zi asked in confusion.

"A Reploid that can copy the powers and appearances of Reploids and Mavericks," Axl explained.

"You never told any of us about your history, so I can't answer any specific questions regarding that," Joanna continued. "Heck, the last Ah saw of you for quite some time was after Ah fixed you up; when Ah went back to make sure you were okay, the only thing Ah could find were your keys – powers not included."

"I see," Axl nodded. He then looked at Zi-Zi. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you earlier. I lost my memories of my life before a Reploid named Red found me."

"It's okay, I understand," Zi-Zi nodded. "Joanna was telling the truth about us not knowing you very well. Let's change that." She held out her hand. "My name is Zi-Zi Joule."

"Axl Stevens," Axl smiled, shaking her hand.

Nobody noticed, but from a distance Hercules could be seen watching the scene play out below, not interfering as per Camerina's instructions. From behind him, a girl walked up towards him.

"Are you working for Camerina?" the girl asked him. "Because if you are, I would like to join you."

"And you are?" Hercules turned around. The first thing he noticed about the girl was the badge she was wearing on the left side of her chest.

"A Cure with a mission," was her simple reply.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_


	7. The Vase Filled With Water is Aquarius!

**A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

It was only a few minutes before the sun was set to rise. Both Lana and Nina were up and about in the hotel room. Lana's stomach growled and complained about starving while Nina was looking down at the bed, worried about something. There was then a knock at the door. Lana got up to answer it.

"Long time no see, Lana," Gabriella told the vampire with a smile on her face. The two shared a quick hug. In her hand was a small cooler. She handed the cooler to the vampire.

"Thank you so much for getting these for me," Lana thanked the angel as she took the cooler from her. "Do you want to come inside and meet the new Leo?"

"Don't mind if I do," Gabriella replied. She then saw the poor lion-turned-girl looking worried on the matress "Did you tell her what was happening?"

"Earlier this morning I woke her up and told her," Lana replied. The two looked over towards the poor lion. "I wish this didn't have to happen at all." There was silence as the two could do nothing but watch Nina tremble on the couch.

"Why does this happen?" Nina finally spoke up.

"Because when one of us needs our power to maintain a human form, it needs to take a break once in a while," Lana explained. "Here, that break is the day of the full moon. From when the sun rises to when it sets, you will not be able to take on a human form no matter how hard you try."

"This kinda reminds me of Joy," Lana told Gabriella. "Remember how she would always freak out when I said that I was getting hungry?" She took a blood pack out of the cooler that was handed to her earlier.

"Yeah," the angel nodded. "She never wanted to be around you because she thought you would go crazy at this time of the year."

"Well, that's what happens when your race becomes a legend; the information gets so screwy it becomes funny," Lana agreed before taking a gulp of the cold blood. "Could be warmer..." She then shrugged and continued drinking it.

When the first rays of sun peeked over the horizon behind the closed curtain, Nina started glowing brown, her shape changing.

When the glow faded, she was once again a little lion cub.

* * *

Gia and Comet (on the latter's request) were walking around the local art museum at the request of the small panda bear. Despite all of the people that were there, everything thought that the panda bear was, in fact, a dog, which allowed Comet to be enthralled with all of the art featured there as Gia carried him around.

"This is a really nice museum, umi," Comet commented on all of the different art pieces.

"Sh," Gia chastised him in a soft whisper. "You need to be quiet." She then set him down next to one of the currently empty displays outside the ladies' room. "I need to go to the bathroom. Stay here." She then entered the facilities.

Comet decided to look around at all of the humans that were walking back and forth, all of them much larger than he was. It was interesting how few people were in the museum at this time. Besides Gia and a few workers, there were hardly any other humans at the museum.

Suddenly, there was an blue glow coming from one of the sets of keys. Comet looked at the keys and gasped. He then looked around for the potential cause.

A museum curator then walked up next to the panda bear and placed an ancient urn with beautiful artwork on it inside the display. The curator petted the disgruntled bear's head for a moment before walking away, his task done. As he walked away, the glow never lessened.

"That vase, umi!" Comet realized.

"All done!" Gia walked out of the bathroom and looked at the vase that was now on display. She read the description in front of it. "A priceless urn from the early Xia Dynasty in China estimated 2000 BC. The artwork has miraculously survived the aging process and depicts a scene of a fishing scene near a local village as the sun is sinking below the horizon. Amazing…"

"Gia, its-"

"Sh," Gia chastised the fairy again. She then picked him up and started carrying him away from the urn. As a last ditch effort, Comet looked over Gia's shoulder and used his paw to throw the set of keys at the urn.

The keys flew through the air in slow motion for Comet before magically landing in the urn itself. The fairy congratulated himself before realizing something.

 _Why hasn't the vase turned into a human yet, umi?_ he asked himself as he and Gia turned the corner in the museum.

* * *

As the day workers were all leaving the museum, a forty-two year old night guard was walking inside of it. He walked through the museum, taking note of an ancient urn that was placed there earlier that day. He then entered the security room and checked to make sure that all of the security cameras were working. The black and white screens were all showing good quality feed from all of the different angles of the museum which included the new urn.

After making sure that all of the alarms were on as well as the security lights being turned on for the night, the man prepared for the long night that was ahead of him.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ONE OF THE ZODIAC WAS IN THE MUSEUM?!"

"I tried telling you, but you kept shushing me, umi," Comet explained to the teenage girl. "But the weird thing was that the urn didn't turn into a human, umi. I wonder why, umi…"

"That doesn't matter right now!" Gia replied, clearly in a huff. "The museum's closed right now! How in the world do we get inside of it?!"

"How should I know, umi?!" Comet shouted back.

"Why don't you ask Lana?"

Both turned to the side to see Eva standing next to them, walking around the streets as the sun started sinking towards the horizon.

"That's a great idea, let's go!" Gia then grabbed Eva's wrist and started dragging her along towards the hotel that Lana told them that she was staying at. Comet ran on ahead of them.

"Wait, why am I coming along?!" Eva protested.

"There's a new Cure inside of the museum and we need to go rescue them, umi!" Comet told the half-demon from over his shoulder.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

"So let me get this straight," Gabriella told the two after their introductions were out of the way. "There is a Cure inside of the museum, but the urn didn't transform and you just left without realizing any of this..." Gabriella thought over things for a few minutes. "We'll have to make our way over there as soon as the sun sets for the evening. Earlier if we can."

"When the sun sets and Nina changes back, let's go then," Lana replied.

"What happened to Nina?" Eva asked. The lion cub jumped from the floor onto the bed. "She really is a lion!" Comet was smiling, knowing now that he was 100 percent correct about the new Cure.

* * *

The security guard was doing his hourly rounds around the museum. Since the entrance was completely made of windows, he could see the sun setting behind the nearby buildings even from around corners of the museum. He looked around to make sure that all of the different pieces were still in their place and that no one was inside after hours.

As he was passing the woman's restroom that was right next to the pieces, the sun hit twilight.

A soft, blue glow pulled the guard's attention from the other pieces of art to see that the glow was coming from the urn that was placed there just earlier today. The guard's eyes widened at the event taking place in front of him.

When the sun fully set for the night, the glow stopped and a boy of Asian descent that could be no older than ten years old and wearing some sort of ancient Asian clothing with a keyring with two keys on it in his lap fell off the pedestal the urn was once on.

The guard, with eyes wide, went up to the boy and knelt down next to him. The boy was looking down at himself, shock and confusion and wonder and so many other emotions crossing over his face all at the same time. The boy suddenly noticed the guard right next to him and flinched, scooting away until his back hit the wall.

"發生了什麼事給我嗎？" the boy asked, fear lacing his voice as he spoke in what the guard recognized as Chinese.

"Don't speak Chinese, kid," the guard replied. "You speak English?" The boy continued to look at him funny. "Francais? 日本語? русский? العربية?" He didn't answer, only continued to look at him funny. The man then pointed at himself. "David." He then pointed at the kid on the ground.

"David," the boy repeated while looking at the guard. He then pointed at himself. "花瓶."

"Huaping," David replied.

David would've tried to say more, but the windows could be heard shattering from where they were at. David pulled Huaping off of the ground and into the bathroom. David could hear three sets of footsteps enter the building.

"Where are you, new Cure?" one of the voices, female, echoed throughout the entire museum. "You can hide, but not for long."

 _This little boy? A Pretty Cure?_ David thought to himself. He didn't have time to think about what they were saying. He knew he had to protect this urn – no, this kid – no matter what even if he didn't have any weapons on him. David placed his shoulder on the kid, hoping that the kid could tell from a glance to stay put and not come out.

He hid behind the pedestal from before and waited for the group to pass him. When all three walked by, he slowly and quietly walked behind the only male of the group. He pulled the guy back and put him in a choke hold. The two females, one a adult dressed in a toga. The other girl that was with them had already turned the corner up ahead and turned the corner.

"A human?" the woman questioned. "You're not the new Cure, are you? You're a little old to be doing this if you are. Release Phoenix and I'll let you live." David looked down to the boy and noticed something familiar about the blonde 16 year old. It suddenly clicked in his head.

"Len?" he asked. The boy's eyes widened when the name was said.

"D-David?" he choked out, his brown eyes widened in horror. "I-I'm sorry, but I have to."

Before he could say anymore, more footsteps were heard coming through the hall. One of them was yelling "Lyra!" before what appeared to be an angel kicked the woman in the side. More girls – all fourteen year olds – entered the building at the same time.

"What are you plans, Lyra?" the one in orange asked.

"Now where's the fun in that, Cancer?" Lyra replied.

"I'm sorry and please don't tell the others," Phoenix begged David as he got out of his lock. He then went to attack the girl in brown. She blocked the attack and continued to fight him. The other two girls, one in red and one in black, went to switch with the angel, the later of the two seeming all-too gleeful on jumping into a fight.

"Cure Virgo, I smell a snake further inside," Cancer told the angel. "Go find the new Cure; I'll go find the snake." The angel nodded. Cancer ran further into the building, running past David while the angel ran up to him instead.

"Sorry about all of this," Virgo apologized. "Did you happen to see… any of the artwork change, by any chance?"

"Why is an angel interested in what this museum has to offer?" David said while in a defensive position. She looked shock.

"Another human that can see my wings?" she questioned.

"一位天使!" Huaping exclaimed as he was looking around the corner.

"你在這!" Virgo said back. She then walked up to the boy and spoke to him a quiet, mother-like voice in Chinese. David, knowing there was nothing he could really do to fight against these overly-powerful people, turned his eyes back to the fighting that was happening in front of him.

"Taurus Teleport!" the red Cure said. She disappeared out of existence before reappearing behind Phoenix. She kicked him before teleporting beside Lyra and punching her across the face. She teleported again to punch Phoenix in the stomach.

Suddenly, the black Cure suddenly sprouted demon wings and tail, her nails and canines grew to be like claws and fangs, and her pupils became narrow slits. She was very much enjoying the fighting, but probably too much so. She continued her fight against Lyra in a somewhat sadistic manner while Taurus (whom he assumed the name was because of her attack) joined up with the other girl fighting Phoenix.

The girl placed her hands on her badge. A light brown light shone off of it. Petals started spinning around her. She seemed to bend them to her will, all of the petals floating up above her pointer finger. "Leo Ruling!" She then pointed at the slightly older-looking boy she was facing. The petals moved towards the giraffe on a fierce, invisible, intangible wind.

Phoenix revealed his wings made of fire and then released the flames towards the petals coming at him. The metals were highly ineffective as then both Cures were knocked backwards by the attack, both themselves and their clothing receiving burn marks in the process.

Apparently, the one in black was not so engaged in her fight as to notice that her two friends were in trouble. She kicked aside Lyra and placed her hands on her chest, a black light shining off of it. Black flames came out from her chest and started making a ring around her. She then lifted the ring so that it was above her head. "Scorpio Underworld!" she yelled with a strange echo to her voice. She then threw the ring at Phoenix. His eyes widened as Lyra came in front of him, her harp poised. She strummed a few of the strings and a barrier appeared in front of them.

"現在! 轉變!" Virgo told the urn-turned-boy. The boy, while still looking somewhat nervous, was much less so and way calmer than what he once was. He pulled off one of the keys that were on the key ring David noticed that he had earlier.

He threw the key ring and the extra key into the air. In front of him a blue, magical array appeared with a symbol of the zodiac right in the middle of it. "Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" he yelled. He then placed the key he was holding into the middle of the array, a key hole manifesting at the exact spot. "Star Power!" He turned the key and the entire array broke.

Water suddenly poured over Huaping's hands. He watched as it suddenly stopped, revealing white, fingerless, biker gloves adorning his hands. Water then poured all over his body, obscuring his clothes from view. When the water stopped, he had on a long sleeved, skin tight, light blue shirt and blue short shorts with the bottom of the shorts being light blue. Another wave of water washed over his body again. When the water stopped, he was also wearing a sleeveless, blue vest that was open and an aqua green belt. The belt also had a gold belt buckle that was his symbol.

Huaping then ran his right hand through the right side of his hair. From his short hair, his bangs lengthened – especially on the right side – and his hair turned light blue. From blue light, a blue choker and dangling, gold, star earrings appeared on his neck and ears respectively. Water then poured from just above his ankles, hiding his shoes from view. When the water stopped, in their place were white, combat boots with blue shoe laces. Huaping put the keys and the key ring on the right side of his belt. He placed both hands over the left side of his chest. When he removed them, the Zodiac badge was pinned to his vest.

"The water bearer, controlling the calm, midnight waters!" Huaping said while stretching his arms out to both sides. He then posed to match his constellation. "Cure Aquarius!" Water rained down around him for a brief moment. He then looked confused for a moment. "我說了什麼?"

"不要擔心現在," Virgo replied. She then shot forward to fight against Lyra.

"Why?" Phoenix whispered to himself before going after Aquarius. "At least you're not the one I'm after." Aquarius, not understanding him, just dodged the punch being thrown at him before trying to throw one back. Aquarius tried kicking back, but it was for naught as Phoenix jumped backwards away from him.

Virgo and Lyra were trading blows back and forth, but to no avail. Virgo noted while she was fighting Lyra that Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio were getting back up for round 2. Scorpio joined up with a somewhat overwhelmed Aquarius while Taurus and Leo took over for Virgo against Lyra. Virgo took this chance to place her hands over her badge, a white light shining from it.

She then raised her left hand into the air. A white harp with a gold star on the base landed in her hands. David looked up into the sky, wondering where the harp came from. She cradled it in her arm. "Virgo Prayer!" She then started strumming a soothing tune.

Phoenix and Lyra started becoming sluggish in their attacks while the Cures became stronger and, for Scorpio, more brutal. Aquarius took this chance to back up and repeat what Virgo just did. He placed both hands on his badge and removed them. Blue light shone off of it.

"我想學習," he said as water started swirling around him. "我想探索." The water formed into many balls around him. "我要保護這個世界!" He then brought the balls in front of him. "Aquarius Balloons!" The balls were launched one at a time.

The other Cures backed away from Lyra and Phoenix when Aquarius shouted his attack. Some of the balls that were launched hit Lyra, but the majority of them were aimed at Phoenix. Both screamed as the attack was hitting them, drenching them in water and losing power with each attack and Virgo's attack wasn't making them any stronger.

"We have to go," Lyra told Phoenix.

"I'm sorry, David," Phoenix said one last time, pain clearly laced in his voice. "Please don't tell the others. I'll explain when this is all over." The two were then teleported away.

David was mesmerized as the glass that was destroyed was magically repaired and any extra water was evaporated from the floor. Scorpio was hugging herself, apparently calming down from the fight as Taurus was helping her. Virgo went over to Aquarius and seemed to congratulate him on a job well done. Leo was looking around for someone, probably Cancer, while a little, oddly colored panda bear that David didn't notice earlier walked up to him.

"Hello, umi," he spoke to him. David's eyes widened at the strange creature. "My name is Comet, umi. It is very nice to meet you, umi."

"D-David Jones," David replied. Leo walked over towards David.

"My name is Cure Leo," she greeted him. "It is very nice to meet you, David." She held out her hand to him. He slowly reached out and shook it. She smiled as if she did something right.

* * *

Cancer finally caught up with the girl that had evaded the others earlier. She was standing in front of a painting that was showing off a huge battle from hundreds of years ago with one of the powers in her hands. The girl turned around and Cancer gasped at who she saw.

"Ophiuchus?" she asked.

"Cancer," Ophiuchus replied.

* * *

"You know who Phoenix is?" Virgo asked David.

"Len's a good kid," David insisted. "If what you said about this Camerina is right, then he better have a dang good reason to be doing this." Taurus then remembered something.

"Didn't Anna say that Phoenix looked familiar?" she asked Scorpio.

"Yeah, she did," Scorpio, demonic features now gone, agreed.

"Anna Stevens?" David asked, a dark look casted over his face. Both looked at him in surprise and nodded. "Of course she did – they're cousins." Both looked down to the ground. Virgo translated the jist of it. 'What about this kid?"

Aquarius looked down to the ground. Virgo gave his some words of encouragement. He then nodded and looked at the others. He then nodded.

"我不知道," he started. "我只記得醒來，脫落的底座. David然後找到了我." He then looked at Virgo. "請不要讓我成為一個花瓶了! 我想那些門外面去!"

"What did he say?" Leo asked Virgo who looked very sad.

"He doesn't know," she translated. "His earliest memory is waking up on the pedestal and falling off of it and then David finding him. 別擔心. 你不會成為一個花瓶，如果你不想成為一個花瓶."

Everyone was silent at the words that Aquarius said and Virgo translated, letting the information sink in as Virgo told Aquarius something in Chinese.

"The last one got away," Cancer said as she reentered the room. She looked Virgo in the eye. "It's Ophiuchus." Virgo's eyes widened.

"I need to go find Joanna and Zi-Zi," Virgo told the others. "They should know about this, too." Virgo ran towards the front door and then spread her wings to take flight.

"We should go, too," Taurus told Scorpio. The two girls then ran out the front door and jumped to the nearby rooftops.

"As for you," Cancer looked David right in the eye. "You will forget everything that has transpired tonight."

David glared right back at her and said "If you're thinking that I'm going to forget about this, then you can forget it."

Cancer's eyes widened when her power didn't work on David. _Him as well?_ she thought to herself. _Why is this happening?_

"Well then," Cancer thought. "I'll be back in the morning to help you keep your job if you promise not to tell anyone."

"Sounds fair," David agreed. Cancer nodded and then started walking out of the door. Leo rubbed her eyes and said good bye. She then followed Cancer out of the museum.

David watched as Aquarius's hair and clothes glowed blue before changing back to the Chinese clothing that he found him in. He motioned for the kid to follow him back to his office. Once inside the office, he gave Huaping his sandwich. As Huaping looked at the sandwich, David got on the computer and went to Google Translate.

The computer told the kid in traditional Chinese "Go ahead and eat the sandwich." Huaping looked at the sandwich before taking a small bite of it. His eyes lit up and a smile finally graced his face. He then started really getting into the sandwich, eating it as if he has never eaten anything before.

David typed something else into the computer which, when said, translated as "When the sun rises, you can go back to the pedestal or you can leave the museum."

Huaping, after hearing this, swallowed the bite he was chewing on and looked down at his sandwich. "我以前從來沒吃過," he told David. "這種三明治是美味."

David didn't know what he was saying, but the kid would need the night to think about it.

* * *

Morning came and so did David's boss. Luckily, Lana (who after the confrontation he learned was, in fact, Cancer) used some sort of weird power to convince his boss that the ancient urn was only here for a day and was shipped to another museum. She then left without her boss remembering that she even existed let alone was talking to him.

When David was allowed to leave, he saw Huaping looking at the pedestal that he first woke up on. David was honestly surprised when Huaping didn't change back to an urn during the day. Huaping then looked over at David. David started walking out of the museum. Huaping ran after him, following him to the outside world.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_


	8. Let the Victor of the Seas be Pisces!

**A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

Gia, Eva, and Comet were waiting for Anna to join them at the softball diamond, the three girls having promised to watch their friend, Lori, play softball today. However, something weighed heavily on their minds.

"Should we tell Anna about her cousin?" Gia asked Eva while they sat in the bleachers. "I know David said to not to, but..."

"I think we shouldn't tell her," Eva said with a grimace. "Lana said that her powers don't work on him, so he could blab at any time he wanted to anyone he wanted."

"I don't think he will, umi," Comet put in his two cents worth.

"We can talk about it later, there's Anna," Eva pointed her out. Her older sister and two other people one of whom had a pink dove on her shoulder were flanking her as they walked towards the bleachers. Anna saw them and waved at them. The dove flew off the strange girl's shoulder and made its way over to Comet.

"Luna!"

"Comet!"

Eva watched as the two hugged as if they hadn't seen each other in a long time. When Gia had told the bird "Long time, no see, Luna," Eva knew this had to be the case.

"You must be Cure Scorpio, col," the dove, Luna flew up to her face. "My name is Luna, col. It's very nice to meet you."

"So Eva's Scorpio," Chloe said as Anna and the others caught up. "Gia's Taurus, Chloe and I are Gemini, Rose is Sagittarius, and Axl is Capricorn."

"...What?" Eva said, confused and shocked about what Chloe just said.

"Oh, that's right, we've never met," Chloe seemed to remember something. This only served to make Eva even more confused. "Hi, I'm Stephanie. Chloe and I share a body, but I've never been in control when you were around."

"...What?!"

"And I was surprised when I found out Axl was a Cure," Rose agreed. "I knew two Cures before this – Cure Day and Cure Night – and they told me that all Pretty Cures are girls so knowing he's a Cure, well, let's just say it was bit of a surprise."

"A bit of a surprise?" Axl asked. "When we got home, as soon as you closed the front door, you started freaking out!"

"It was actually kind of funny, col," Luna agreed. The two then went into full-out laughter.

"Shut it, you two!" Rose chastised them. "I didn't do that!" There was then a slight bickering match between the brother and sister and the fairy that was living with them with the sister losing.

"…WHAT?!"

* * *

Lori looked over to where her friends were from the dugout. She noticed Eva was looking frazzled for some reason and they were talking to Anna's older sister and two others – probably Chloe's friends, she thought.

She had to focus now, though. It was the first inning and she would be up to bat soon. She would have to give it her all in this game; it was the finals of the softball tournament after all.

When it was her time to go out there, bases were loaded. As she walked towards the base, she took one last glance at her friends. The teddy bear Gia had brought along was holding a set of keys that were glowing turquoise. Everyone then looked at her.

"Lori?!" they all shouted. The crowd thought they were cheering and started chanting her name.

What was going on with them?

She didn't have forever to think. She somehow managed to hit the ball on the first pitch and it looked like it might be a home run or at least a double.

That is if a flying guy dressed all a red-orange kimono didn't catch the ball first. Lori's eyes widened, seeing him fly on wings made of fire. He dropped the ball onto the field below, looking over to where the bleachers were. He threw a light at the one where her friends weren't sitting in. Lori could only watch while it was absorbed into the bleachers. People started running away from the bleachers as well as the softball diamond in general. Lori was frozen in place and she managed to notice that her friends and the people they were with staring at the person.

"Len, is that you?" someone from the unaffected bleachers asked. The guy flinched, looking with wide eyes at the bleachers. Lori thought that he looked scared. She also saw Anna and her big sister gasp. "Len, what are you doing?!" The guy quickly turned around and flew away. "LEN!"

"LEN, COME BACK!" the one guy with her group of friends yelled as well, but the guy kept flying away until he couldn't be seen.

"The bleachers!" Gia yelled.

The bleachers started morphing into something else. They twisted, grew, and seemed to change materials until it became a giant, tall, stone furnace of sorts with arms, legs, and evil-looking eyes. It yelled out "KUROIHOSHI FORNAX!" It then started destroying everything around the softball diamond, other games that were going on running away from the park.

"Rose, Axl, we can look for Len later," Stephanie told her two cousins. "For now, we need to transform and stop that Kuroihoshi!" Both looked at her, then at the Kuroihoshi, and finally nodded.

"Anna, Comet, Luna, get to Lori and explain to her what's going on," Rose told the three. "Everyone else, henshin!"

"What's a henshin?" Stephanie asked, everyone including herself having a confused look on her face except Axl who nodded as the two took their keys out. Lori's eyes widened when Axl started glowing. When the glowing stopped, Axl was standing there as Iris once again. Lori's eyes widened, but widened even more at what she saw next.

As Anna and the two creatures ran towards her, the others faced the monster (who was still tearing up the park like it had the right to do so) and took out a set of keys. They took off the bronze key (keys in Chloe's case) and threw the ring and the spare(s) in the air. Magical arrays in pink, red, bright green, black, and yellow arrays appeared in front of the group.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" the group said at the same time. They stuck their keys into the middle of the array in front of them. "Star Power!" They turned the keys and the arrays broke apart at the same time.

For Rose, rainbow rings appeared at the end of each of her limbs and underneath her feet. They came up and replaced her clothes with pink light that became her Pretty Cure outfit. Rainbow light bathed her hair, changing it to the correct color and style.

Gia's clothing teleporting off of her, leaving behind red light that changed into her fighting costume. Her hair was covered in red light before lengthening and changing to match her outfit.

Chloe and Stephanie were separated into two bodies with the help of the wind, already having their hair changed. The wind changed the bright green light they were wearing to their new clothes.

For Eva, she snapped her fingers and black fire appeared. It consumed her entire body sparing only her face. As the fire receded, it was shown to have burned away her clothes and gave her new ones as well as the hairstyle to match.

Iris was struck by lightning. Electricity surged in and out of her body at different points. It changed the color of everything she was wearing and also removed her gauntlets and replaced them with beads.

All of them placed the key rings on their right hips and placed their hands on the left side of their chests. When their hands were removed, their badges appeared in their respective colors.

"The archer, dancing with all the colors!" she shouted out. She struck a ballet pose before getting into one that matched her constellation. "Cure Sagittarius!" Rainbow glitter suddenly busted out from behind her, falling to the ground.

"The bull, charging through this dimension!" Gia yelled out loud, gripping her hand, punching forward. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Taurus!" Red light gleamed off of her badge for a moment.

"The twins of the ever-changing wind!" the two girls said at the same time, facing each other, grasping each other's' hands. They then went back to back, striking the pose to match their constellation. "Cure Gemini!" Wind blew off of them for a moment.

"The scorpion, controlling the dark flames of hell!" Eva said. She snapped her fingers, a small, black flame on her finger tip. She blew it out and then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Scorpio!" Black flames started burning behind her.

"The goat, sailing through the storming seas!" Iris said while pointing towards the nearest, far away ocean. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation. "Cure Capricorn!" Lightning then struck the ground behind her.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-" Lori kept trying to start her sentence over and over again.

"Lori!" Anna yelled at her friend. The blonde grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from where the fighting was taking place.

"Since this Kuroihoshi didn't use a human, I'm not holding back," Capricorn told the others with a growl to her voice.

"We need to find Len, so let's make this quick," Sagittarius told everyone. Gemini and Capricorn agreed. Scorpio gave a wicked smirk in her own agreement.

As Lori was being dragged along, she saw the five-now-six people start fighting against the monster that appeared from the bleachers. Sagittarius and Capricorn launched themselves at the Kuroihoshi, punching it as hard as they could in the head. Since it was distracted with its own want of destroying, the two fists colliding with the area that would be its face.

Gemini was next, both Pink and Blue going for a kick on the side. However, the Kuroihoshi blocked the kicks with its arm, flinging the two back. Taurus started running to the other side of the monster while Scorpio couldn't help herself and flung herself at the enemy.

"Lori, look at me," Lori heard her friend. She looked over at her.

"Anna, what's going on?" she asked, tearing her gaze away from the fight that was taking place.

"Those people that just transformed are part of the Pretty Cure Zodiac, umi," the white and yellow panda bear replied. "They have been chosen by the powers of the constellations to fight against the Kuroihoshi, umi!"

"And so have you, col!" the pink dove added. She handed Lori a key ring that was just like the one the others had. "Now, you can transform, too, col!"

Shaking off the shock of everything that was going on, Lori quickly accepted what was going on. She tightened her grip on her keys and started walking towards the battle.

"HEY!" she yelled at the monster. Everyone within the vicinity turned to see her. "YEAH, YOU, THE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE A CHEMICAL FURNACE! HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT MY SOFTBALL GAME!"

"K-Kuroi-"

"DON'T EVEN TRY TO DEFEND YOURSELF!" Lori yelled at it. "THAT WAS THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME! **THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!** I HAVE TO MOVE BACK TO JAPAN AT THE END OF THIS SUMMER AND YOU RUINED THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME OF SOFTBALL OF MY ENTIRE LIFE! I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!"

"And I thought I was a demon," Scorpio whispered to Taurus who only nodded in agreement. Lori tore off the bronze key from her key ring and threw the latter along with the extra key into the air.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" Lori yelled. She placed her key in the middle of the array, a key hole forming where she did so. "Star Power!" She turned the key, the array breaking into a million, tiny pieces.

Snow started coming off of her hair at the tips, turning it teal. When it reached her roots, the hair put itself into a pony tail on the left side of her head. The snow circled the point that it was to be tied and created a yellow scrunchie with gold stars imbedded into it. Some of the snow went to ears and formed the gold, star earrings that all the Cures wore while the rest went around her neck to create the aqua green choker that would be there.

Snow then started coming off of her clothes. As it did so, her clothes were being replaced by new clothes covered in aqua green light. When the top half was done, the light burst off the clothing revealing the top part of an aqua green, sleeveless dress that had turquoise ruffles where the arms came out and the cut off bottom. Her clothes continued to turn into snow, revealing a skirt. When it was done forming, the aqua green light came off to reveal that the skirt was the same color with turquoise ruffles at the bottom as well as a ribbon that went around her waist and tied as a big bow in the back with the excess material twisting in on itself and going to her knees.

The snow kept coming off of her soft ball pants, revealing the teal tights underneath that she always wore. When the snow got to her shoes, they also disappeared as snow, but left behind high heels on her feet covered in the same aqua green light. When the light came off, it was revealed that the high heels were turquoise and that there were same colored ribbons going up her ankles, only crossing once before tying together in a turquoise ribbon that was being pinned back by her symbol. The snow that came off then came onto her arms, creating white arm warmers that went up to the middle of her upper arm and three rows of sky blue beads on each arm.

She placed her key ring with keys on her right hip. She then placed her hands on the left side of her chest. When she removed them, an aqua green light formed her badge.

"The fish, swimming beneath the frozen oceans!" Lori said while posing as if she was actually swimming. She then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Pisces!" Snow swirled around her for a moment. "I'M TAKING YOU DOWN, YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A MONSTER!"

"KUROISHOSHI FOR-" In the blink of an eye, Pisces went from standing next to Anna and the fairies to kicking the side of the Kuroihoshi. It went flying towards the restrooms, destroying the wall that separated the stalls from the outside world.

Capricorn was the one who noticed that there was a person inside of the bathroom. Her eyes widened when she recognized the same girl that had unwillingly turned into the last Kuroihoshi she had fought. Taurus must've also seen her because Capricorn quickly heard a "Taurus Teleport!" and then saw Taurus coming in and out of view, kicking and punching the Kuroihoshi as a distraction.

"Come on!" Capricorn picked up the girl bridal-style and jumped away. Capricorn knew that she was looking at her, but was more focused on finding a place that she would be safe. Capricorn landed near where the police had set up a perimeter so that no one would go into the park. Everyone gasped as Capricorn lowered the girl to the ground, helping her to stand up again. "Are you alright?" she asked.

The girl nodded, clearly still shaken up. "Th-thank you for s-saving me." Capricorn nodded, ignoring the flashes of light that were coming from the journalists and the video cameras that were all pointed at her. She turned around, needing to get back to the other Cures as soon as possible. "A-and for last time, too."

Capricorn paused for a second because of what she said. Her fist shook at the thanks that she felt she didn't deserve. She shook it off, jumping away from her and the crowd behind her before the police could apprehend her, needing to get back.

Scorpio managed to kick the leg out from underneath the Kuroihoshi. She then jumped into the air and punched it on the side. Pisces joined her by kicking the monster's head. The two jumped away from it when Gemini grabbed its leg. Working together, the two lifted up the giant monster and spun it around and around.

"KUROIHOSHI FORNAX!" it yelled out in dizziness. The girls threw it towards the field where Anna, Luna, and Comet were still standing. The three yelled out in fear.

"Hyah!" Sagittarius yelled as she and Taurus teleported in front of them, the former kicking the Kuroihoshi into the fence. "Are you guys alright?" The three nodded.

"Sorry!" Gemini yelled to the three.

"Watch where you throw Kuroihoshis, col!" Luna yelled at them. Blue Gemini laughed nervously while Pink Gemini sighed.

"Capricorn Bullet!" Capricorn yelled while falling through the air. She shot her guns many times while the Kuroihoshi tried to get up.

Pisces placed her hands on her badge. An aqua green light shone off of it. She held her hands together, a mini snowstorm brewing in her palms. "Pisces Blizzard!" She started spinning around and around in a circle. Absurd amounts of snow started swirling all around her and the softball diamond.

Everyone was defending themselves from the cold that was coming at them. Ice, however, only started forming on the Kuroihoshi's limbs. Sagittarius noticed this.

"Gemini, Scorpio!" she called to the others. They three nodded. All three placed their hands over their badges. When they were removed, Sagittarius's gave off a pink light while the Geminis' did so with a green one and Scorpio's being black.

Black flames came out from her chest and started making a ring around her. She then lifted the ring so that it was above her head. The two Geminis went back to back, spinning around while the wind whipped towards them and then condensed between their hands in front of them, turning it into a green ball of light. Grasping one hand, they used the other to bring the balls above them and merge it into one. The two then brought it down in front of them. Sagittarius lifted up her right hand. Light that was all different kinds of colors came to her hand to form a sphere as the cloth hanging from her wrist was glowing rainbow. She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky.

"Scorpio Underworld!"

"Gemini Twister!"

"Sagittarius Burst!"

Scorpio threw the ring towards the Kuroihoshi. The light that Gemini held out in front of them suddenly turned into a green-colored twister. Sagittarius brought down her thumb, the same rainbow-colored light coming out of the tips of her middle and pointer fingers. All three attacks were heading at the Kuroishoshi and hit right on their marks.

"KUROIHOSHIIIII!" it cried in pain. It then exploded. Everything slowly started repairing itself. When the smoke cleared, all that was left was the bleachers (surprisingly newer-looking than when it was possessed) and the light that the others now recognized as the Fornax power. Luna flew up to it and used one of the crystals to absorb the power. It then disappeared. Anna and Comet ran up to them.

"We need to get out of here," Sagittarius told everyone. Pisces then saw sadness in her eyes. "We need to find Len."

"Sag-Rose, Axl," Pink Gemini told her cousins. "We need to call everyone. The more people we have looking for Len, the better."

"We'll have to tell them everything," Capricorn reminded her.

"And they can keep secrets," Blue Gemini smiled. "If they weren't good at it, well, who knows where we would be right now." Sagittarius and Capricorn nodded. Blue Gemini picked up Anna while Pink Gemini grabbed Comet. All the Cures leaped away with Luna flying right behind them just before the police swarmed the area.

The girl from earlier ran up right behind the police without them noticing. She looked up and saw all the Cures soaring away, but focused on the yellow one in particular.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

* * *

Tommy was with his girlfriend, just coming out of the movie theatre. They were talking about how bad the movie was when Tommy's cell phone went off. He looked at the caller ID and saw that Anna was calling him. What was she calling him about?

"Hang on," he told his girlfriend as he answered his cell phone. "Anna, why are you calling me?"

"Len's with them," was the only thing she said.

The color drained from Tommy's face. He was scared for his friend and from Anna's cryptic message. "What do you mean by that?"

"The Kuroihoshis," Anna told him. "He's with the group making them!"

All the color was gone from Tommy's face. His stomach felt like it dropped to somewhere around his feet. "Why?!" He heard his girlfriend say something to him, but he ignored her.

"I don't know," Anna replied. "He's supposed to be in Japan right now getting everything set up for when he, Rose, and Axl go over there for high school next year…"

"Who else have you called?" Tommy asked.

"You're the first one I got a hold of," Anna admitted. "Rose, Axl, Chloe and Stephanie are already here. My sisters were the ones that told me you and Brach already knew and I don't have Brach's number-"

"I'll start calling as many people in town as I can," Tommy told her. "We need to get _everyone_ in on this."

"That was the plan," she assured him. "Thank you, Tommy."

"He's my friend, that's why we need to get to the bottom of this. I'll start going around town looking for him while I call people."

"Same. Good luck." She then hung up.

Tommy looked at his girlfriend. She looked really mad at him for ignoring her for the last minute – most likely because he was talking to another girl. He decided to tell her as much of the truth as he could. "I'm sorry, but something really important came up and I have to go help."

"What, with your side girl?" she asked venomously.

"No!" Tommy told her. "She's the cousin of one of my best friends that's in trouble right now and I need to go find him."

"Sure it is," she remarks under her breath.

"I'm not taking this right now," Tommy told her. "If you want to be this way, fine. We're through." He ignores her as he starts walking away and looking through his contacts to find the next person to call. He clicks on the one labeled _Snake. It answers on the third ring.

"Call back later," the gruff voice says.

"David, I know it's too early to be calling you," Tommy apologizes. "But Len's in trouble-"

"And you're starting a massive search party for him," David finishes. _Of course he would already know_ , Tommy thought to himself. Tommy can hear a "Huaping, come on" from the other side of the call before David comes back and tells him "I'll start looking. Is there anyone else you want me to call?"

"Anna and I will take care of calling the others," Tommy assured him. "Please, just find him."

"Remember who you're talking to, kid," David reminds him. The line then goes dead. Tommy goes to the next contact on the list who happens to be labeled Amy. He pressed the call button, prepared to go through the majority of his contacts.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

* * *

Lana, Gabriella, Joanna, and Galaxy were talking to each other while Nina was at a food stand ordering for all of them. Joanna and Galaxy looked at Lana and Gabriella with shock written all over their faces.

"Are ya sure it was 'er?" Joanna asked.

"It couldn't have been anyone else," Lana assured them.

"B-But we saw her, ari..." Galaxy trailed off.

"We all did, Galaxy," Gabriella reminded her. "She probably used her powers to keep herself alive."

"Ah could've sworn that power was destroyed years ago," Joanna thought. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"I don't know why she's doing this, but I do know one thing," Lana continued.

"Cure Ophiuchus is alive and we need to find her."


	9. The Search for the Fiery Bird!

**A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

"Alright, can everyone hear me?" the Stevens' family friend asked everyone over the computer-cell phone conference call. A multitude of yeses came from many different speakers stationed around the young 16 year old. She brushed a strand of her brown hair away from her glasses and brown eyes.

On her first computer were GPS locations of everyone's cell phones. Most were stationary, most likely waiting for more instructions. A few were still on the move, still looking for Len while listening to her talk. On the second computer were traffic and security cameras views, the young genius having hacked into them.

"The cameras are up and running," she said. "If I see him, I'll tell whoever's closest. If you have anything to tell anyone, I'll relay the information. Okay?" More yeses came through the speakers.

"Jasmin, Mom said to come down for dinner," the girl's older sister walked through the door of the bedroom. Her eyes widened when she saw the computers and what they were displaying.

"Hey, Jessica, perfect timing," Jasmin addressed her. "Can I borrow your computer? I need its processing power. Better yet, can you help out? I could use an extra set of hands here."

"Jasmin, what in the world is going on?" Jessica asked with an exasperated tone to her voice.

"Len's gone to the dark side and is fighting the new Pretty Cure team in town," she quickly explained while she was typing on the keyboard. "Everyone in town is looking for him. I'm in charge of checking street cams and keeping everyone informed."

Jessica was stunned for a moment. "I'll tell Mom you're working on a project – it'll be too suspicious if we're both not down for dinner – and I'll bring you back something to eat." She started leaving the room before turning back to her younger sister. "You better make sure my laptop doesn't have any incriminating evidence on it when you're done with it." She then shut the door behind her. Jasmin smiled in glee as she ran to her sister's side of the room and grabbed the laptop from the desk.

While she was doing that, she missed Phoenix on one of the street cameras, hunched over in an alley, hugging himself.

* * *

Gabriella was flying through the air, invisible to all below her except for the Pretty Cure and those strange people some of them were friends with. She was flying low so that she could see Ophiuchus if she was down there. Instead of her human clothing, she was wearing a toga specially designed to slide wings through the back, biker shorts and a specially designed matching top for her wings, and a pair of sandals.

Below, Lana could see her flying through the air. She was using her inhuman strength and agility to jump on the rooftops from one building to the next, getting an overall better view of the area. Below her, Nina and Zi-Zi were running through the streets. Joanna, being an old woman, would join them when they found Ophiuchus.

"Who are we searching for, Zi-Zi?" Nina asked.

"We're searching for a Pretty Cure," Zi-Zi told her. "One we thought to be long dead."

"Who is it?"

Before Zi-Zi could answer, silver ribbons came out of the ground surrounding them. Nina started instinctively growling at them, take a more feral pose. Zi-Zi gasped. The ribbons grabbed onto the girls' legs, preventing them from moving around. It also grabbed their wrists, preventing them from moving their arms towards their keys.

"It's good to see you again, Zi-Zi," a female voice said off to the side. Both girls looked over towards the alley to see a girl that looked to be a similar age to them.

She had short, silver hair with a gold, star clip pinning some of her bangs back. She wore a see through silver coat that had sleeves going down to her elbows. A silver choker was on her neck. The coat was open, showing the white top that was only half-length and short white shorts. On the bottom of the shirt and the top of the shorts was a slate line, framing her stomach. She was wearing white gloves on her hands. Her white, high heel boots came up to a little over her knees, the upturned top colored silver and having a white bow and her constellation pinning them back, the heel and toe also silver in color. On her right hip was a key ring with three keys on it- one bronze, one silver, and one gold. On the left side of her shirt was the Zodiac badge.

"Cure Ophiuchus," Zi-Zi replied. "I thought you and your power..."

"I thought so, too, when it happened." She then turned away from Zi-Zi. There was a long pause before she continued. "I'm only going to tell you this once: I have a mission that I have to complete. This is the only way I can do it. Do not interfere." She then jumped away. Zi-Zi yelled for her to explain herself. When the two could no longer see her, the ribbons faded away.

"Are ya okay?" Joanna turned the corner and asked them. Nina nodded.

"It was Ophiuchus," Zi-Zi told the old woman. "What is so important that she would turn against us?"

"Don't know," Gabriella told them as she landed beside them. "Which way did she go?" Nina pointed in the direction. Gabriella flew back into the air, determined to catch up to her while the two on the ground, determined to catch up to Ophiuchus.

* * *

"LEN! LEN, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Several hours had passed since the search began. Rose and Axl were running around the border of the nicer part and a sketchier part of the city. The sun was starting to set behind the buildings. Rose stopped, placing her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

"Rose?" Axl stopped walking. He looked at his human sister to see that tears were starting to pool in her eyes.

"Len..." she muttered. Tears started coming down her cheeks.

Axl walked straight over to her and pulled her into a hug. She grabbed onto his shirt and started sobbing. He tightened his hold on her, but not enough to crush her. She kept on repeating "Why?" over and over again as he rubbed the top of her back in a reassuring manner.

It took a little while before she was done crying. She lifted up her glasses and dried the last of the tears that were under them on her short sleeves. Axl's shirt was wet on the front, but he was fine with it; his family came before his discomfort after all. She sniffed again. "Better?" Axl asked. She nodded in reply as she sucked in a bit of snot in her nose.

"Axl, can you hear me?" a voice suddenly asked. To Axl, it sounded like the person was standing next to him, but he knew that the voice was coming from his white, boxy audio receptors that acted as ears and a communicator that acted like a cell phone that could only send and receive phone calls.

"Jessica?" Axl asked out loud as he put a hand to his 'ear'. "Where's Jasmin?" Rose was looking at him, wondering what was going on no doubt.

"Talking to Kirsten, Danielle, Allie, and Morgan," Jessica replied. "Jasmin finally found where Len is at."

"Jasmin found Len!" Axl repeated to Rose, unable to keep a giant smile off of his face. Her face brightened considerably. "Jessica, where to?!"

"Go towards 1st Street!"

The siblings started running in the direction Jessica directed them. They turned onto the street, slowing down when they were getting near the alley where Jasmin said Len was in. The two slowly got closer to the entrance to the alley. Both peered around the corner to see Phoenix sitting on the ground, his head on his arms which were on his knees. He was also trembling slightly.

"Len?" she whispered.

Phoenix's head shot up, looking the opposite way before meeting eyes with her. He got up and turned to run towards the other side of the alley, but a group of girls stopped his advances. His fiery wings appeared on his back and he started flying straight up as the two groups got closer to him.

"Len, wait!" Axl cried out. In a flash of light, black and red-accented armor replaced his human clothes. The jets on the outside of his bulky boots ignited and his white jet wings extended from his back. He kicked off from the ground and flew into the air. He reached out for Phoenix's foot.

He only grazed the heel of the shoe.

Phoenix was faster than Axl, and flew high into the sky before the Reploid could make a second attempt. Disheartened, Axl gently floated back down to the ground. In a flash of light, he changed back into his human form before anyone else outside the group saw.

"That was Len?!" the shortest girl in the group asked.

"Yeah, Allie," Rose replied to the blonde. Tears started forming in her eyes again.

"Hey, Jasmin, this is Danielle," the girl with highlighted dark brown hair started talking into her cell phone. "We lost him." Axl could hear cursing on the other side of his own line.

"Now what?!" the girl with highlighted brown hair asked.

"It's getting late," Rose told them. "Allie, Danielle, Morgan, Kirsten, you can go home now if you want. You can go ahead and tell the others to stop for the night and I'll-."

"If you think you're going to look for Len all by yourself, you got another thing coming!" the one with unnaturally dark brown hair, Kirsten, told her. "Len's our friend and we need to talk to him so that we might be able to help him."

"She's right," Danielle agreed. "He needs help and who better to give it to him than you and Axl. If there's one thing we learned from Cure Day and Cure Night, who better to talk sense into someone than a Pretty Cure – no one, that's who!"

"… Thanks, guys… I guess even a Pretty Cure needs to be reminded of those important lessons sometimes…" Rose wiped away her tears on her sleeve. Her expression then steeled. "Let's find him!"

Everyone nodded. Allie, Danielle, Morgan, and Kirsten went back the way they came while Rose and Axl went the opposite way.

* * *

Tommy and Brach were searching the park in the middle of the city just a few minutes before it closed. The two were looking everywhere for their friend when Tommy saw something that made his eyes widen with shock and possible fear. He tapped Brach on the shoulder and they both looked to where he was staring at.

There was a silver dragon-man decked out in gold, European-style armor. At his feet, a human woman dressed like a humanoid fox was screaming out in pain. Both boys were shocked at what they were seeing before a girl that looked slightly younger than they were landed beside him.

"Is Vulpecia ready, Draco?"

"Jussssst about," the dragon-man replied. "She should sssssslow thossssse Curesssss down enough for Phoenix."

"I hope so," the girl replied. She then started walking away, neither of them realizing that there were two onlookers.

The woman that was convulsing on the ground did so happen to notice them. She reached out her trembling hand towards them and mouthed the words 'help me'. Brach and Tommy looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

"A little harp was playing a tune earlier," Draco talked. "It was a song about a traitor to the protectors of Starcy and how the ones of old were coming after said traitor. Would you happen to have any insight on this, Cure Ophiuchus?"

The two looked at each other, not believing what they were hearing. That girl was a Pretty Cure that betrayed the others? The Cure stopped in her tracks.

"I couldn't say anything that would be particularly useful," Cure Ophiuchus replied. "Except that a song like that is usually still being composed. Maybe someday soon it will be finished, but not today." She then jumped away.

Just as she did, the woman on the ground screamed. A dark aura that came from her heart started swirling around her. She then transformed into a giant fox-like creature. She yelled out "KUROIHOSHI VULPECULA!"

Gabriella landed on the ground. Lana landed on the ground nearby and quickly ran up to her. Joanna stepped out from the last of a row of portapotties, and Zi-Zi and Nina were running towards them on the ground.

"Draco," Lana said out loud. "So that's the power that Ophiuchus used on you."

"Camerina wasssss the one who gave me the power," Draco corrected. "And it will be Vulpecula'sssssss power that dessssstroysssss you!" An ice tornado surrounded him. When it disappeared, so did he.

"KUROIHOSHI VULPCULA!" the Kuroihoshi shouted out as it started destroying the park. Brach and Tommy ran away from it as it came closer to them.

"Brach, Tommy!" they heard Gabriella call out. All five females pulled out their keys, pulled the bronze one off the key ring, and threw the ring into the air, transforming it into the magic arrays in front of them.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" They pushed the keys into the keyholes that appeared in the center and just off center of the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays broke apart into many pieces.

When Lana kicked the earth, lava came out of it. It spread all over her body. It then flew off of her, revealing her Cure outfit underneath. Lava morphed her hair and hat into its new style as well.

For Nina, petals from every kind of plant imaginable swirled around her. Her hair moved itself into two buns, creating her hair style. In flashes of brown light, the petals formed her Cure outfit over her human clothes and skin.

After Gabriella sang a short melody, music notes flew around her on music staffs. When they wrapped around her, they changed into her Cure outfit in a flash of white light. Her wings became visible to the common person.

Joanna was wrapped up in purple light, becoming a teenager with her Cure eye color and hair style. She was clothed in her Pretty Cure outfit when the purple light dispersed around her.

For Zi-Zi, sky blue glitter swirled around her. Her clothes glowed sky blue, morphing into her new outfit. The glitter formed her accessories and her shoes after the light left her clothes.

All of them placed the key rings on their right hips and placed their hands on the left side of their chests. When their hands were removed, their badges appeared in their respective colors.

"The crab, swimming through the life of the world!" Lana yelled out loud, flipping over once before striking a pose similar to the Statue of Liberty. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Cancer!" A small amount of lava erupted from behind her.

"The lion, king of the jungle and all of nature!" Nina yelled out loud, spinning once while striking an air of royalty to it. She then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Leo!" Petals blew around her momentarily.

"The woman, singing from the heavens above!" the angel said with both hands on her chest and her wings closed up behind her. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation with her wings stretched out behind her. "Cure Virgo!" Small music notes started floating down around her.

"The scales that judge the fates of all!" the now young teenager said with a finger on her chin. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation. "Cure Libra!" Purple light shone from the pearls on her head.

"The ram, protecting all from the mountaintop!" she declared. She spun around a few times, sky blue glitter flying off of her hands as she did so. "Cure Aries!" The glitter exploded like fireworks before disappearing from sight. Both Tommy and Brach, once they determined they were a safe distance away, turned around to watch the battle that was about to unfold.

"KUROIHOSHI VULPECULAAAAA!" it yelled out. Suddenly, dark auras in the shape of geese and foxes appeared around the Kuroihoshi.

"Get ready," Virgo told everyone. "Its powers are to create animal shapes and use them like familiars."

As soon as she finished speaking, the little foxes started charging them as the geese dove in like kamikaze pilots. Virgo took to the sky, drawing away some of the geese with her while the other four were left on the ground to deal with the rest.

Leo growled at the foxes. When anything got to close, she dodged and counterattacked, punching them only once to make them disappear. Once in a while, a goose would dive into her side or back, making her stagger and grimace in pain, but she kept punching them as they kept coming at her.

Cancer was doing something similar to Leo, but her movements were much more graceful from years of experience. If Tommy didn't know any better, he would say that she was dancing. However, that image was shattered when she dodged a goose by turning and subsequently made it disappear by biting into its neck with her sharp, long fangs before going back to counterattacking. Tommy started shaking where he hid.

Libra was behind Aries, the latter striking down any creature that got too close to the deceptively-looking old lady. In a moment of opportunity, Aries clapped both hands over her badge, blue light coming out of it, and conjured up her sky blue shield in front of her without saying the incantation. More of the foxes and geese hit the barrier, but didn't even make it crack.

Virgo flew around the air, expertly dodging the geese as they tried to crash into her. With the geese following her, she started flying straight at the Kuroihoshi. When she was about to run into it, she flipped. Her foot connected instead, kicking it right in the forehead. She used her footing to push herself upwards, leaving the geese not enough time to change trajectory. Because of this, the aura geese crashed into the Kuroihoshi. It yelled out in pain, stopping the summoning of new animals.

Given the chance, she clapped her hands over her badge and white light came out of it. Her harp landed in her hands when it fell from the heavens. She then started playing it, reciting "Virgo Prayer!"

"Libra Chains!" As the Kuroihoshi tried to run away into the city, a black and white pearl landed on its paws. The poor, giant, evil fox was flipped when the pearls turned into purple rings made of light and brought the two paws together. Because it was going so fast and the rings refused from their place in the air, the fox was jerked backwards in the front while the back kept going resulting in it ending up on its back.

"Cancer, Leo, now!" Libra told the two as she kicked the fox that was about to hit Leo. Both nodded, clapping their hands on their badges. Cancer's shown out an orange light while Leo's did so with a light brown color.

Cancer once again kicked the ground. Lava started pouring out of it. However, instead of covering her like it did before, it formed a ball in front of her. She then threw it up into the air. Petals started spinning around Leo again. She seemed to bend them to her will, all of the petals floating up above her pointer finger.

"Cancer Eruption!" Cancer then spiked it as hard as she could. The ball turned into a barrage of smaller balls all aimed at the Kuroihoshi.

"Leo Ruling!" Leo then pointed at the Kuroihoshi. The petals moved towards the giraffe on a fierce, invisible, intangible wind.

"KUROIHOSHIIIIII!" the monster screamed in pain. An explosion then happened, not damaging any of the surrounding area. As the smoke cleared, the group saw that the power and an adult fox were left where the Kuroihoshi used to be.

However, before any of the Cures could get close to it, Draco reappeared right next to the power and made it disappear.

"Heh, so you could take on the weak Kuroihoshi, but can you take on me?" Draco teased them. After he blinked, he saw that had closed the gap between them and was about to hit him in the head with a high roundhouse kick. He had no time to react as the kick connected to his left side. He went flying through the air and straight into a tree.

Libra started panting as she walked back to the others. "And that's all Ah have," she told the others.

"Leo, get Libra and those two boys out of here," Virgo told her. Tommy and Brach yelped when they realized she had probably known this entire time. "Cancer, Aries, you're with me." The other three Cures got ready to fight as Leo got Libra onto her back and ran away. Brach and Tommy, not wanting to face Virgo's wrath again ran after them.

"Ah may look young, but Ah don't have the stamina like Ah used ta," Libra sighed in self defeat. "Ah'm really old…"

No one knew what to say as they ran away from the sounds of battle behind them.

* * *

Phoenix was sitting on the ground again in a different alley. His knees were drawn up to his chest and his face was hidden in his arms. He was trembling a bit despite the high temperature of a summer night. He didn't even notice when a woman walked by the alleyway and did a double take. She looked back in and saw him.

"It's you," she recognized him. He looked back at her and his already pale face paled even more.

She was the one he gave the Ursa Major power to.

He got up to leave when she said "Wait! I have questions!" Before he could summon his wings and fly away, she asked "Why me?! Why did you give that power to me?!" She got angrier and angrier as she spoke. "It turned me into a monster! If it wasn't for that group of magical girls, I would still be a giant bear that even the army couldn't take down!"

He froze in place. He then turned around to face her, regret practically written all over his face. "I'm sorry. I had no choice." Her anger was quickly doused with his words.

"Had no choice?"

Phoenix didn't say anything more. He leaned back against the wall and slid back down it, resuming the original position he was in. She slowly sat beside him. She looked over him and realized something.

"The power you have, is it starting to overwhelm you, too?"

He was quite for what felt like forever before he spoke. "Yeah… It looks like I can only keep this power under control for about a week. I can already feel it wanting to rampage. I don't know how the Pretty Cure does it so easily."

"So that's who they are…" she whispered more to herself than to him. "Do you… know who the yellow one is?"

"… She reminds me of someone that I know of, but I don't actually know who she is. Sorry."

"It's alright…"

They stayed there, just looking at the opposite wall for a while. It was a while before she spoke again, saying something she just realized. "I never told you my name."

"Me neither."

"My name is Katherine Smith."

"… Phoenix, but… my real name is Len Stevens…" He then paused for a moment. "Will… Will you stay with me until I turn into a… a Kuroihoshi? Please?"

Katherine looked into his eyes. He looked so scared and so tired. She smiled and nodded.

"You stayed with those few minutes to took for me to turn. It's only right if I return the favor."

"… Thanks, Katherine."

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_


	10. Revelations for the Archer and the Goat!

Lyra looked on at the pathetic excuse for Phoenix's power. He would go up in flames any hour now. And that girl who was almost immediately overtaken by Ursa Major was with him as well despite the fact that he was the one who gave her that power in the first place. Lyra found it truly pathetic.

In this case, just like Camerina wished, she would just have to speed him along.

She took out a power that she was hiding in her robe that her leader gave her for such an occasion. She quickly looked around for something to hold its power. The best candidate in the immediate area was an empty glass bottle with its label torn off.

"You will do," she shrugged. She dropped down to where the bottle was and started to push the power into it. She put more force into it and then the power went into the bottle.

The effect on the bottle was immediate. It started shaking on the ground, Lyra jumped back to her perch before it started transforming. It started morphing into a giant telescope that had arms and legs made of a dark energy as well as eyes.

"KUROIHOSHI TELESCOPIUM!"

It has the desired effect. Both Phoenix and the former Ursa Major looked towards the sound.

"Is it…" Lyra could hear the girl ask Phoenix from where she was at.

"A Kuroihoshi," Phoenix confirmed. "Maybe… maybe _that power_ will come this time." He started standing up, his legs shaking.

"You're not going to last at this rate!" The ex-Ursa Major tried to get him to stop. She grabbed onto his shoulder to try to get him to sit back down.

"I-if I don't go, m-my…" He pulled away from her and then started running towards the Kuroihoshi. She ran right after him.

Lyra smirked. This was getting interesting.

"KUROIHOSHI TELESCOPIUM!"

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

David, who had a cup of coffee in his hand, and Huaping, who was walking not far in front of him, both turned a complete 180 when they heard the sound of the Kuroihoshi yell out into the quickly fading light. David looked back at the vase-turned-kid under his care. The ten-year-old-looking boy stared right back at him with shock in his eyes.

Huaping then started walking towards where the sound was coming from. It didn't take him long to start running in that direction instead. David followed his charge, knowing exactly what the kid was going to do.

"KUROIHOSHI TELESCOPIUM!"

* * *

Rose's and Axl's eyes widened when they hear the cry. They are immediately heading in the direction of the Kuroihoshi. It doesn't take them long to get there. They saw the Kuroihoshi stomping on the ground and swinging its arms out to the sides, destroying everything it can reach. The two siblings looked at each other and nodded, taking out their key rings. In a bright light, Axl turned into Iris. They took the bronze key off of the ring and threw the rest into the air. The rings turned into a magic array that was pink for Rose and yellow for Iris.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" They pushed the keys into the keyholes that appeared in the center of the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays broke apart into many pieces.

Rose placed her hands near each other. A ring made of rainbow light appeared at the end of each of her arms and traveled down them until slightly before her elbow before disappearing. This left a pink light in the shape of an arm warmer that went just slightly beyond her wrist. She flicked her arms so they crossed, throwing the pink light off and revealing white arm warmer and three red bracelets of beads on each wrist. She crossed her right arm over her face, having a red cloth appear on the middle bracelet that, when stretched out, would reach her elbow in a stream of pink light.

Then, a larger version of the rings appeared right below each of her feet. They started traveling up her legs, slowing down when it transformed her shoes and socks to bright pink light before disappearing. She clicked her feet together, throwing the light off of them. They were revealed to be white, ankle length boots with the heel and toe being pink. The top part was overturned, revealing the pink inside. A white bow was attached at the point where it was overturned, a gold symbol of a constellation attached to it.

An even bigger ring appeared around and started traveling up her legs, taking her clothes away. When it reached a certain area on her right leg, it slowed down, leaving two inches of pink light right above her knee. It sped up again, transforming her clothes into pink light before disappearing. Rose crossed her arms over her chest before throwing them off, the light going with them. It was a single strap, bright pink dress with the thick strap going over her left shoulder. The strap and the top of the dress along with the hem of the skirt were a few shades darker as well as the biker shorts that were peeking out underneath the skirt, leaving an inch between the same-colored, simple garter on her right leg. There was also a big bow tied on the back of the dress that was the same shade as the strap, the excess ribbon going down to her knees, twisting as it traveled downwards.

Her hair started becoming bathed in rainbow light, starting from her roots. The light went passed where her hair ended continuing on until it went passed her hips. Rose spun in place, her hair being separated into ponytails. The light then came off of her hair in a flash of pink light. Her hair was a shade of pink between the dress and the garter. The thick pony tails were held in place by two gold spheres with two, dark pink ribbons coming out of them. Engraved on the spheres was a five point star with a constellation symbol on top of it. Pink lights appeared around her neck and on her ear lobes, flashing off to reveal a pink choker and gold star earrings, but her glasses had disappeared. The shooting star necklace she was wearing was still around her neck.

Lightning struck Iris. However, it did not damage Iris, but instead left her with electricity coursing along the outside of her. Electricity surged in and out of her body at different points. It first started with her head. Her long, practically ankle length brown hair became yellow at the tips, the blonde going from about half an inch in her bangs to about half a foot in her long, thick pony tail. The metal scrunchy that tied her hair at the halfway point had also changed from blue to yellow and the yellow bumps on it turned to gold stars. The beret sitting on her head also changed from red to a light purple and the pin on it changed to a gold star. A small amount also went into the choker that doubled as the top of her dress, making it yellow.

Electricity then pooled into Iris's metal dress. Her dress's color changed from blue and red to yellow all over which included the pink, puffy sleeves. The yellow and red, cone-shaped accents on the skirt (that looked like a hoop skirt that ended above the knees) also changed to purple which was the same for the lines going down the middle of the body of the dress, along the top of her chest, and at the beginning and end of the sleeves. The belt across her chest changed to a purple ribbon that tied into a bow in the back. The excess dangled about half way down the skirt.

The metal leg warmers and shoes on her legs and feet changed when the lighting pooled into them. They changed into a white, cloth version of leg warmers that had yellow lined at the top and the bottom. There was also a light purple ribbon on the top being pinned down by her constellation. Her shoes also changed into white, high heel boots with the toe and heel being yellow in color, the tops being hidden by the leg warmers. The giant, metal gauntlets on her forearms turned into lighting and fled her arms, leaving only a row of purple beads on each of her wrists.

The two of them placed the key rings on their right hips and placed their hands on the left side of their chests. When their hands were removed, their badges appeared in their respective colors.

"The archer, dancing with all the colors!" she shouted out. She struck a ballet pose before getting into one that matched her constellation. "Cure Sagittarius!" Rainbow glitter suddenly busted out from behind her, falling to the ground.

"The goat, sailing through the storming seas!" Iris said while pointing towards the nearest, far away ocean. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation. "Cure Capricorn!" Lightning then struck the ground behind her.

"KUROIHOSHI TELESCOPIUM!"

Sagittarius launched herself at the Kuroihoshi, Capricorn looking around the area a bit before deciding to join her. The former punched the monster right in the face while the later kicked it right on the other side. Capricorn landed back onto the ground while Sagittarius placed her free hand onto its head and flipped into the air. The two then kicked it on either side of its telescopic neck. The Kuroihoshi coughed badly, falling to the ground easily.

"That was easy," Sagittarius said. "Now to purify that Kuroihoshi." She moved her hands to place them –

"Get down!" Capricorn yelled. The Reploid tackled the human into the ground, making them both avoid the hot stream of fire aimed right at her. When the fire let up, they both looked over at the person who let out the scorching torrent.

To both of their surprise, it was Phoenix. Fire was licking off of him, sweat was rolling off of his forehead, and he was breathing heavily, but it was him.

"I finally found you, Cure Sagittarius," Phoenix said as the two got back up. "Please don't hold it against me; I have to do this."

"What are you talking about?!" Sagittarius yelled at him.

Instead of an answer, Phoenix made a pair of fire wings on his back instead. He charged at the two of them while the Kuroihoshi got back up and started walking away and as the girl that Capricorn kept running into managed to catch up to Phoenix. Capricorn quickly pulled Sagittarius flush against her and faced her back towards Phoenix.

The yellow cure yelled out in pain as Phoenix collided with her. Both she and Sagittarius went flying and crashed into a nearby wall with Capricorn taking the majority of the burden. Both slid down the wall as Capricorn started glowing white.

When the glow disappeared, Capricorn's base appearance changed from Iris to his original appearance, Axl. His lower Reploid armor looked similar, although everything that was black was now yellow and the red stripes were now purple. Instead of screws adorning his hips, the golden Capricorn symbol replaced them. His upper armor (which only covered his chest) was drastically changed, no longer having the giant core in the middle of it and two purple stripes running through the yellow metal from the middle of his lower chest to over his shoulders. While his Reploid audio receptors were there in full, however instead of his helmet, he had a white headband-like part going over where his bangs were separated from the rest of his hair with a giant, gold star right in the middle of it. His gauntlets were gone and he had skin-tight yellow gloves on his hands. With the exception of his face and above his yellow choker, his skin was pure white. His hair was defying gravity, it splitting into five parts in the back that made it shaped like a star. His hair was also blonde at the tips, but quickly faded into red.

"Capricorn, are you alright?" Sagittarius asked him.

He gave her a pained, giant grin. "Yeah, no problem, little sis. That was nothing!" He still held his shoulder as she helped him off of the ground.

The girl stared at Capricorn, not believing what she was seeing. Phoenix stared at him, too, but for entirely different reasons.

"Capricorn is… Axl?" he whispered to himself. He then took a good look at Sagittarius. His eyes widened. "Is Sagittarius…"

"Phoenix," Lyra came out of hiding, landing on the ground in front of the Kuroihoshi. "You know what will happen to your twin sister if you don't destroy Cure Sagittarius."

"Wait, what will happen to me?" Sagittarius asked Lyra. Lyra looked at her, confusion in her eyes before realization slowly dawned on her.

"Wait, you're his twin sister…" she pointed at the two. "… Well, this is… unexpected…"

Sagittarius yelled out as she launched herself at Lyra, the Kuroihoshi temporarily forgotten. The punch was blocked by the other. The two then started exchanging blows as fast as they could. They could not make a hit land on each other no matter how much the two went back and forth. Capricorn extended his plane-like wings on his back. The jets on the outsides of his leg armor activated, sending him through the air and hitting the Kuroihoshi in the back. It roared out in pain.

It was at that point Huaping finally made it to the battlefield, still hidden away from everyone else. He took out his keys. He threw the key ring and the extra key into the air. In front of him a blue, magical array appeared with a symbol of the zodiac right in the middle of it. "Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" he yelled. He then placed the key he was holding into the middle of the array, a key hole manifesting at the exact spot. "Star Power!" He turned the key and the entire array broke.

Water suddenly poured over Huaping's hands. He watched as it suddenly stopped, revealing white, fingerless, biker gloves adorning his hands. Water then poured all over his body, obscuring his clothes from view. When the water stopped, he had on a long sleeved, skin tight, light blue shirt and blue short shorts with the bottom of the shorts being light blue. Another wave of water washed over his body again. When the water stopped, he was also wearing a sleeveless, blue vest that was open and an aqua green belt. The belt also had a gold belt buckle that was his symbol.

Huaping then ran his right hand through the right side of his hair. From his short hair, his bangs lengthened – especially on the right side – and his hair turned light blue. From blue light, a blue choker and dangling, gold, star earrings appeared on his neck and ears respectively. Water then poured from just above his ankles, hiding his shoes from view. When the water stopped, in their place were white, combat boots. Huaping put the keys and the key ring on the right side of his belt. He placed both hands over the left side of his chest. When he removed them, the Zodiac badge was pinned to his vest.

"The water bearer, controlling the calm, midnight waters!" Huaping said while stretching his arms out to both sides. He then posed to match his constellation. "Cure Aquarius!" Water rained down around him for a brief moment.

Aquarius jumped in and, after seeing another Cure he had never met before, decided to throw himself at the fight and kicked the one in white away from the one in pink.

"Thanks!" Sagittarius told him. She then noticed the badge on his chest. "So you're a Pretty Cure, too. I'm Cure Sagittarius. Who are you?"

"我無法理解你的語言," he replied. Sagittarius sighed before the two of them started going after Lyra again.

Capricorn kept attacking the Kuroihoshi. Even with his shoulder slightly burnt, he was still able to keep it busy on all his own. He kept kicked it as hard as he could and would even use his jets and wings to get into the air above it and punch it from above. He then got far into the air above the Kuroihoshi after punching it so hard it was struggling to pick itself back up, muttering "K-kuroihoshi Telescopium…"

Capricorn placed both of his hands over his badge, a yellow light shining off of it. Capricorn crossed his hands above his head. His two guns appeared in his hands. He aimed it at the Kuroihoshi. Lightning surged from his hands and into the barrel of the gun.

"Capricorn Bullet!" He pulled the trigger to many times to count in a second, many shots of little lightning bolts heading towards the Kuroihoshi. They all hit the Kuroihoshi, making the weakest one any Cure has come across writher in pain.

"KUROIHOSHI TELESCOPIUUUUUM!" it cried out in anguish. It then exploded. When the smoke dissipated, all that was left was a glass bottle and a power right next to it. Without a fairy there to grab it, Capricorn turned around, guns pointed at Lyra, but fingers not on the triggers.

"Rose is… Sagittarius…" Phoenix muttered to himself, more and more flames licking over him as his anger rose. "My own sister is… Sagittarius… How could she…" He clenched his fists. "CAMERINAAAA!" He was surrounded in fire. He glared at Lyra as both Sagittarius and Aquarius kicked her away from them. His body then turned into pure fire as he went towards Lyra. He passed right through her. She screamed as the flames burned her. When he reached the other side, Phoenix reformed.

Lyra almost fell to the ground, but regained her balance. "I'll… tell Camerina about your betrayal…" Shen then jumped away. No one followed her.

A dizzy spell then passed over Phoenix. He would've fallen to the ground if it wasn't for Sagittarius catching him. "Len, hang in there! Len! What's wrong? Len!"

"He doesn't have much time left," the girl (who had stayed at the sidelines the entire time) explained to her. "It happened with me, too. Phoenix's power will overpower him and it will turn him into one of those monsters."

"Don't worry, Len," Sagittarius reassured him. "We'll get the Phoenix power out of you." Phoenix was too out of it to respond to her. The girl then walked over towards Capricorn who let his guns dematerialize.

"Um… so this is…"

"Yeah…" Capricorn guessed what she was about to say.

"I… I just want to say thank you for… you know, saving my life those times." A blush was coming unbidden onto her cheeks.

"I-it's nothing, really!" He was waving his hands in front of him. "I would've done it for anyone…" He rubbed the back of his head.

"I-I still want to say thank you somehow…" she looked down at the ground. Her face was bright red. "C-c-could I… maybe… treat you to… lunch today n-next week? At the new café opening up on the square okay with you?"

"I-I guess…" Axl turned away. He then noticed that Cure Aquarius had been staring at them the entire time. "停-停止盯著我們!"

"Huaping," a voice said from the end of the alley. Both turned to the sound of the voice. Capricorn's eyes widened when he recognized the person. That person's eyes widened when he saw and recognized Capricorn as well.

"Axl, you're a Pretty Cure?" It was stated as a question, but it was said like a statement. When Capricorn turned back towards then girl, she was already leaving the area, waving to him goodbye. He gave a small wave before looking back at David.

"We… might have a lot of explaining to do…"

"I already knew about Len, but not you and Rose, so yes, you have some explaining to do." Capricorn nervously laughed before sighing.

* * *

Cancer, Virgo, Aries, and Draco were all breathing heavily. All were sporting some sort of minor injuries. The girls were glaring at Draco who could've help but smirk at the girls.

"You're very good," he complimented them. "However, it is about time that I head back. Next time, I hope to crush at least one of you." He then spread dragon wings that none of the girls noticed before, flying away on them. All three of them sighed. Their clothes and, in Cancer case, her hair glowed orange, white, and light blue respectively. Their normal clothes and hair styles returned to them as well as Gabriella's wings once again becoming hidden to any normal passerby's eyes.

"There's no point in going after him right now," she told everyone. "For now, we should leave and regroup with the others at Joanna's." The other two nodded and started walking to the nearby porta-potties.

"I hope Joanna is going to be okay," Lana said to the others.

"Me, too," Gabriella's eyes were wet with unshed tears.

* * *

Jasmin saw that Rose was calling on the network. She answered the call with a hello.

"We finally found Len," she told them. "You can call the others and tell everyone thank you for us."

"Sure thing," Jasmin spoke into the headset she was wearing.

"And Jasmin? Thank you. We couldn't have done this without you." Jasmin could tell her voice was filled with gratefulness.

"That's what friends are for," Jasmin reassured her. "I'm going to let you go, I need to tell everyone what's going on."

"See you later," Rose said, not waiting for a good bye before hanging up on Jasmin.

She looked over to the bunk bed the two of them shared. Len was currently on the lower one, still looking like he did when he had Phoenix's powers. He was sweating badly and he was burning up. If what that girl said was true, then Len wouldn't last much longer. From what she had seen, she and Axl might not be able to handle the Kuroihoshi that was born from him so easily.

She looked at her cell phone and called Anna. It picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Rose, what's up?" Anna asked her. "I thought that Len was found."

"He has been," Rose ensured her. "But he's going to turn into a Kuroihoshi and it might be soon. Please get a hold of Chloe and Stephanie and anyone else you know that is a Pretty Cure, please."

"O-okay," Anna told her. "I'll call them all and have Chloe drive all of us to your place, alright?"

"Thanks Anna," Rose thanked her. "I'll see you when you get here." She then hung up on her. She then called David.

"What?" David asked her.

"David, that boy you're taking care of, what's his name?"

"Huaping, why?"

"Len's going to turn into one of those monsters. We may need him to help save Len."

A sigh. "Fine. We'll be there soon. You better have a guest room ready."

"Always do." David hung up on her before she could say anything more. There was one more number that needed to be called before she could go back to attending Len. She scrolled through her contacts before she got to the number Axl got from Joanna.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

* * *

Joanna was lying in bed with Nina at her bedside in a standard bedroom with odd pictures on the walls. The lion-turned-human looked at her, concern for what was wrong with Joanna. Yes, she was old, but she was still quite healthy-looking from what Nina could tell. There was no reason for her to by dying, was there?

"Ah may be healthy as a horse, but Ah am dying, Nina; that's what happens when ya get ta ma age," Joanna told her as if she knew what she was thinking. "Ah've been along for a long time and Ah've done many different things in ma life. As long as Ah get to say good bye to Gabriella, Ah can die with no regrets."

The phone next to the bed starts ringing. Nina jumps from the sound of it. Joanna only chuckles before answering it. "'ello?" She listened to the voice before saying "Of course Ah can; Ah'm not _that_ old!" A bit more silence. "Good bye." She hangs up. "Well, Nina, it looks like your biggest battle is yet to come.

"We'll be taking down Phoenix."


	11. Attack on the Homefront! Go Cures!

"Why didn't you tell us that Phoenix's sister is Sagittarius?"

Hercules's eyes widened at Lyra, shocked at what she just asked. Draco looked confused. Ophiuchus didn't even act like she heard Lyra and continued to lean against the wall. Camerina smirked at Lyra's curious tone as she painted her toenails.

"I have my reasons," Camerina told her. "But we have more important matters to attend to." She sat up and looked at everyone.

"What do you want us to do, Camerina?" Hercules asked.

"As you all probably already know, Phoenix isn't going to last much longer," she told them. "I want you to weaken the Zodiac as much as possible before the power overwhelms him."

"Ssssssounds like fun," Dracon smirked.

Ophiuchus walked out of the area, Hercules noticing a determined look on her face.

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

Nina couldn't sleep. Not after what Joanna told her earlier.

She got up and went to the kitchen to get some water to drink. She walked passed several rooms (even seeing Rose sleeping in the chair next to Phoenix's bed) before reaching the stairs of the giant mansion the siblings lived in and walking down to the kitchen area.

Before she went into the kitchen area, she saw Capricorn in his regular form – Axl, she remembered – sitting next to a window, a cord protruding from his right leg and connected to, what she remembered being told is, a wall socket, and munching on a head of lettuce (the sight of the vegetable almost made her gag). He looked at her.

"Hey, Nina, right?" he asked her. She nodded. "Can't sleep?"

She nodded again. "You can't sleep, too?"

"Well, more like I don't absolutely need to sleep," Axl admitted with a nervous grin on his face and rubbing the back of his head with his free hand. "I would sleep, but I want to keep watch tonight." He took a bite out of the lettuce (Nina gaged seeing the sight of him so calmly eating the disgusting, green food). "So why can't you sleep?"

"Its... Its Joanna," Nina told him once she stopped her gagging. "She told me... that she was dying..."

Axl's face fell almost immediately. Nina watched him look down to his lap before looking back up at her.

"She... was how I imagined having a grandma would feel like," Axl told her. He looked back at her, but she felt as if his smile was like a rubber zebra to her – looked like food, but wasn't actually food. "I guess all we can do is be there for her when her time comes."

Nina heard a crash coming from the kitchen. Both could see from their position that it was Gabriella who had dropped a cup of tea. She looked horrified at what they were talking about. She started shaking her head before flying up the stairs and running towards all of the guest rooms.

As soon as she got to the door, she stopped. She slowly reached for the doorknob and inched the door open a little bit at a time. She looked inside and saw Joanna reading an old book in a language she had no idea how to read. The elderly woman looked up to the 'young' angel and smiled. She smiled and placed her book on the nightstand.

"Well, this is a surprise, Gabriella," Joanna smiled. "It's been quite some time since ya've been in mah room." She chuckled, but Gabriella didn't even crack a smile.

"I overheard Nina talking with Axl," Gabriella said. "She said that you were dying."

Joanna's smile didn't go away, but it did sadden. "It's true. I don't have much time left. Fighting at my age has just shortened ma lifespan."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gabriella asked, tears started coming out of her eyes.

"You and Ah both know that Ah'm not becomin' an angel when Ah die," Joanna stated the facts. "You and Ah both know that ma soul ain't comin' back after this life, either. Ah didn't want you to worry 'bout me, Gabe."

Not hearing that old nickname for years was the breaking point for the angel. She started sobbing. Joanna got up from the bed and hugged Gabriella. Gabriella clinged onto Joanna. The elderly woman led the angel to the bed and the two laid down. Gabriella's tears stained Joanna's nightgown, her left wing covering up Joanna. The old woman softly kissed the angel's forehead.

"Why did I fall in love with you all those years ago?" Gabriella whispered, stuttering over her tears as she did so.

Joanna didn't respond, only rubbing the angel's back between her wings as she cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Rose woke up with a start when an alarm started going off. It took her some time to realize that it wasn't the fire alarm, the carbon monoxide detector, or the alarm clock next to the bed, but instead the danger alarm that could only be activated manually. She went to the window and looked outside to see that a. It was still nighttime, but the sun would rise soon and b. Hercules, Lyra, and two others she didn't recognize were making their way towards their home.

"R-Rose," Phoenix gasped, finally awake. "I-I'm-"

"Don't worry, Len," Rose knelt down at his side. "I'll be back soon." She then started running out of the room. Len groaned, kicking the covers off of himself, drenched in a cold sweat.

Everyone who could turn into a Pretty Cure went outside, still wearing their pajamas and sleep wear, with Luna, Comet, Anna and David watching from the doorway with the yellow panda yelling "You can do it, guys, umi!" Rose's eyes widened when she saw the badge that was on the fourteen year old girl.

"Is she..." she trailed off.

"She is Cure Ophiuchus," Lana said with a clenched fist. "I couldn't tell you why she joined them, but right now think of her as the enemy."

Rose's face was weary, but she nodded. She took out her keys and everyone followed suit. Gabriella looked over at Joanna with weariness as well, but the other gave her a smile.

"It isn't my time yet," she whispered. Gabriella gave her a small smile.

They all took the bronze keys off their rings and threw the ring and extra key into the air. The keys and rings turned into magical arrays with each having a different color. "Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" They pushed the keys into the keyholes that appeared in the center and just off center of the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays broke apart into many pieces.

For Rose, rainbow rings appeared at the end of each of her limbs and underneath her feet. They came up and replaced her clothes with pink light that became her Pretty Cure outfit. Rainbow light bathed her hair, changing it to the correct color and style.

Gia's clothing teleporting off of her, leaving behind red light that changed into her fighting costume. Her hair was covered in red light before lengthening and changing to match her outfit.

Chloe and Stephanie were separated into two bodies with the help of the wind, already having their hair changed. The wind changed the bright green light they were wearing to their new clothes.

When Lana kicked the earth, lava came out of it. It spread all over her body. It then flew off of her, revealing her Cure outfit underneath. Lava morphed her hair and hat into its new style as well.

For Nina, petals from every kind of plant imaginable swirled around her. Her hair moved itself into two buns, creating her hair style. In flashes of brown light, the petals formed her Cure outfit over her human clothes and skin.

After Gabriella sang a short melody, music notes flew around her on music staffs. When they wrapped around her, they changed into her Cure outfit in a flash of white light. Her wings became visible to the common person.

Joanna was wrapped up in purple light, becoming a teenager with her Cure eye color and hair style. She was clothed in her Pretty Cure outfit when the purple light dispersed around her.

For Eva, she snapped her fingers and black fire appeared. It consumed her entire body sparing only her face. As the fire receded, it was shown to have burned away her clothes and gave her new ones as well as the hairstyle to match.

For Zi-Zi, sky blue glitter swirled around her. Her clothes glowed sky blue, morphing into her new outfit. The glitter formed her accessories and her shoes after the light left her clothes.

Axl was struck by lightning. Electricity surged in and out of his body at different points. It changed him into his yellow and purple armor and changed his hairstyle as well.

Huaping's hands, then body had water poured onto them. Waves then washed over him, adding more clothing. He ran his hand through his hair, changing the shape and color of it.

Snow started coming off of Lori's hair and clothes, changing them into her cure form starting from her hair and working downwards. Some of the excess snow also turned into her accessories.

All of them placed the key rings on their right hips and placed their hands on the left side of their chests. When their hands were removed, their badges appeared in their respective colors.

"The archer, dancing with all the colors!" Rose shouted out. She struck a ballet pose before getting into one that matched her constellation. "Cure Sagittarius!" Rainbow glitter suddenly busted out from behind her, falling to the ground.

"The bull, charging through this dimension!" Gia yelled out loud, gripping her hand, punching forward. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Taurus!" Red light gleamed off of her badge for a moment.

"The twins of the ever-changing wind!" Chloe and Stephanie said at the same time, facing each other, grasping each other's' hands. They then went back to back, striking the pose to match their constellation. "Cure Gemini!" Wind blew off of them for a moment.

"The crab, swimming through the life of the world!" Lana yelled out loud, flipping over once before striking a pose similar to the Statue of Liberty. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Cancer!" A small amount of lava erupted from behind her.

"The lion, king of the jungle and all of nature!" Nina yelled out loud, spinning once while striking an air of royalty to it. She then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Leo!" Petals blew around her momentarily.

"The woman, singing from the heavens above!" Gabriella said with both hands on her chest and her wings closed up behind her. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation with her wings stretched out behind her. "Cure Virgo!" Small music notes started floating down around her.

"The scales that judge the fates of all!" Joanna said with a finger on her chin. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation. "Cure Libra!" Purple light shone from the pearls on her head.

"The scorpion, controlling the dark flames of hell!" Eva said. She snapped her fingers, a small, black flame on her finger tip. She blew it out and then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Scorpio!" Black flames started burning behind her.

"The ram, protecting all from the mountaintop!" Zi-Zi declared. She spun around a few times, sky blue glitter flying off of her hands as she did so. "Cure Aries!" The glitter exploded like fireworks before disappearing from sight.

"The goat, sailing through the storming seas!" Axl said while pointing towards the nearest, far away ocean. He then struck a pose that matched his constellation. "Cure Capricorn!" Lightning then struck the ground behind him.

"The water bearer, controlling the calm, midnight waters!" Huaping said while stretching his arms out to both sides. He then posed to match his constellation. "Cure Aquarius!" Water rained down around him for a brief moment.

"The fish, swimming beneath the frozen oceans!" Lori said while posing as if she was actually swimming. She then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Pisces!" Snow swirled around her for a moment.

Everyone with the exception of Capricorn and Libra shot forward all at the same time. They attacked their opponents at the same time. All four dodged at the same time and the groups split up to fight each other. Sagittarius and Gemini started fighting Hercules, Taurus, Scorpio, and Pisces went after Lyra, Leo and Aquarius charged after Draco, and Cancer, Virgo, and Aries went for Ophiuchus.

Hercules went to punch Blue Gemini. She smirked, crossing her arms to block the attack. However, the punch was so powerful that she flew back into the giant mansion's house. She yelped when she crashed into the side. In retaliation, Pink Gemini tried to kick the side of his head. However, his head didn't even budge. He pushed her off as Sagittarius tried to attack him from behind. She leaped off of his back and flipped into the air.

Sagittarius covered her badge with both of her hands and lifted up her right to the sky. Light that was all different kinds of colors came to her hand to form a sphere as the cloth hanging from her wrist was glowing rainbow. "Sagittarius Burst!" She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky. She lowered her thumb, a beam of rainbow-colored light came out of her two fingers.

To her surprise, Hercules held out his hand, blocking the attack as if it was just a regular beam of light.

"What the…" Sagittarius trailed off. She then let out a gasp when her beam dissipated and Hercules suddenly charged at her. Her eyes widened, surprised at his speed and knowing that she wasn't going to be able to dodge it.

Suddenly, a hand had managed to catch the hand. Sagittarius's eyes widened when she noticed Capricorn in front of her. He pulled Hercules's hand away from his younger sister.

"I may not attack you," Capricorn told him. "But I won't let you hurt my family." Using his increased Reploid strength, he managed to push Hercules away. The grown man went to attack Capricorn, but the Reploid dodged. Both Gemini were able to get back up. They nodded to each other before starting to do kick, chop, punch, and strike Hercules as the man focused on Capricorn and hitting the dodging robot. Sagittarius, once she snapped out of her daze, joined her two cousins in order to try to damage Hercules.

Scorpio was fighting against Lyra, giggling and smiling as she threw punch after punch. Taurus and Pisces would fly in once in a while with a kick, but Lyra mainly focused on dodging and blocking the attacks that the half-demon was sending her way.

Suddenly, Scorpio's giggling turned manical. Bat-like wings sprung out of her back. A black tail came out from under her skirt. Her nails lengthened enough to make them look like claws. Her canines had sharpened to make them look like Cancer's own. Her pupils also looked more like that of a cat's. Lyra looked shocked at his, but quickly block a swipe coming from her.

Pisces immediately stopped what she was doing; jaw dropping to the floor when she saw what happened to her friend. "E-E-Eva just t-t-"

"We'll all get answers later," Taurus told her. "Right now, we have to fight against her, okay?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. The two launched themselves back at Lyra. Scorpio was also going to axe kick the woman as Lyra took the harp off of her back and plucked one of the strings on it.

All three of those girls along with the unsuspecting Aries and Cancer fell to the ground in pain when they heard the sound. Ophiuchus didn't move from her place when the sound was being played, but she did grimace a bit. Virgo flew up into the air and placed both of her hands on her badge.

White light shone off of it. She then raised her left hand into the air. A white harp with a gold star on the base landed in her hands. She cradled it in her arm. "Virgo Prayer!" She then started strumming a soothing tune.

Lyra grimaced and started playing a screeching tune. The two together, playing at the same time, sounded horrible. All of the different Cures grimaced at the terrible sound, no longer in pain but far from enjoying the sound being produced.

Scorpio reacted first. She glided over towards where Lyra was standing and slashed at the woman with her elongated nails. Lyra managed to dodge, but stopped playing as a result. This allowed Virgo's song to quickly overpower hers and left Lyra grimacing on the ground. Scorpio placed her hands onto her badge and the removed them, a black light shining off of it. Black flames came out from her chest and started making a ring around her. She then lifted the ring so that it was above her head. "Scorpio Underworld!" she yelled with a strange echo to her voice. She then threw the ring at Lyra.

The ring made a direct hit on Lyra. She was consumed in black flames. When the flames disappeared, her toga had burn marks on it, the ends of her hair were charred, and her silver accessories and harp – disposed of on the ground – were red hot. Lyra was panting from the heat, but she gave a defiant glare to Scorpio.

"Good," Scorpio giggled. "It would be too boring if that took you out!" She then dived towards Lyra. She managed to back flip away from it, then dodged again as both Taurus and Pisces tried punching her.

After recovering, Aries once again attacked Ophiuchus. The silver Cure dodged the kick coming from the sky blue one, then dodged another coming from Virgo. She ducked underneath a wing and avoided a palm strike coming from Cancer.

"She's holding back," Libra noted to herself. "Why is she holding back?" However, a yell from the other side of the battlefield tore her attention away from the fight with her longtime friends.

Leo was knocked away from the fight. Aquarius was ducking underneath a spear being stabbed at him repeatedly. Libra decided to intervene. Libra then placed both of her hands on her badge. Purple light shone off it. She then pulled two pearls – one white and one black – out of her hair. "Libra Chains!" She threw the two pearls as hard as she could. The white one landed on Draco's right wrist while the left one landed on the opposite wrist. The pearls then turned into rings of purple light around his wrists. Draco looked in confusion for a moment before its wrists were suddenly stuck together above its head. He tried its hardest to free them, but to no avail.

"Now, Leo!" Libra directed the lion-turned girl. She nodded.

The girl placed her hands on her badge. A light brown light shone off of it. Petals started spinning around her. She seemed to bend them to her will, all of the petals floating up above her pointer finger. "Leo Ruling!" The petals moved towards the humanoid dragon on a fierce, invisible, intangible wind.

The silver dragon-man barred his teeth against the torrent of petals. As Leo kept the barrage up and Libra kept focusing on her binding attack, the latter looked towards the two humans and fairies in the doorway.

"Go and check on Phoenix!" she yelled at them.

"Okay!" Anna yelled back. She and the two fairies ran/ flew back inside the house and right up the stairs with the older man following behind them. She grabbed the door knob, but immediately pulled back, cradling her burnt hand.

"It's too hot; I can't open it!" Anna told the fairies.

"What do we do, umi?" Comet asked. Worry was written all over his face.

"I don't know, col," Luna admitted. The pink dove looked just as worried as the yellow panda bear.

"Get back," David walked up to them. On his right hand was an oven mitt from the kitchen. He was able to quickly grab the door knob and open the door before quickly releasing it. He pushed the door to the side and the human teenager and the two fairies gasped in shock.

The bed was on fire. Through the flames, Phoenix thrashed about in a cold sweat. Heat poured out of the room; it was so hot that no one could enter the room. Anna's cousin was tossing and turning, shaking with the force to keep the power inside of him if just for a little longer.

"I don't think Phoenix is going to last for much longer, col," Luna voiced her thoughts.

"What can we do, umi?" Comet asked.

Anna took action and ran to the room next door. Luckily for her, the window inside was facing the fight going on outside. She opened the window and yelled out "Len's not going to last! Hurry!"

"You heard her!" Blue Gemini told Pink Gemini as the two landed away from Hercules who was still trying to land a hit on Capricorn. "Let's finish this!" The other Gemini nodded. They stood next to each other and placed their hands onto their badges, a green light shining off it once they removed their hands.

The two Geminis went back to back, spinning around while the wind whipped towards them and then condensed between their hands in front of them, turning it into a green ball of light. Grasping one hand, they used the other to bring the balls above them and merge it into one. The two then brought it down in front of them.

"Gemini Twister!" they yelled out at the same time.

The light that Gemini held out in front of them suddenly turned into a green-colored twister heading straight for Hercules. Not seeing it coming, he was hit directly on the side. While it was clear that he wasn't taking damage, it was clear that he was struggling to stay on the ground. The two started putting more force into their attack, yelling as they did so.

Suddenly, with an additional kick from Sagittarius, the man went flying away into the air. Gemini high fived each other.

Lyra, after getting hit by Scorpio, wasn't faring very well and Draco, finally breaking free of Libra's chains and stopping Leo's attack, was starting to slow down a little bit as well. They both stood next to the slightly confused Hercules and Ophiuchus who, to their surprise, didn't have a single scratch on her. The sun's first rays were just starting to peek over the horizon.

"When isssss he waking up?" Draco asked the others. "I'm sssssick of waiting."

Inside, the two fairies started panicking when Phoenix started yelling. A dark aura that came from his heart started swirling around him. The fire came next, creating a cocoon around him. He then jumped right through the ceiling.

Before anyone outside could reply to Draco's question, a giant bird made entirely out of fire crashed through the roof of the mansion, cawing "KUROIHOSHI PHOENIX!"

"Len," Sagittarius whispered. "No…" Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Rose," Capricorn placed a hand on Sagittarius's shoulder. She looked at her older brother. "We'll get him back." She nodded and wiped her eyes.

"Thanks, Axl; I needed that," she told him. She then looked at the Kuroihoshi that was her brother with determination.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

* * *

Camerina chuckled from her throne, seeing everything that was happening despite seemingly looking out into the darkness that surrounded her. A big grin was on her face, watching the giant fire bird rise to power at last.

"I want to see what you are all capable of," she said to no one in particular. "Give me a good show, Pretty Cure Zodiac."


	12. Phoenix's Defeat! Good Bye, Ophiuchus!

**A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

The Kuroihoshi unleashed a torrent of fire from its beak aimed right at the mansion that both Sagittarius and Capricorn live in. The roof and the west side of the house quickly caught fire as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky. It then quickly switched tactics and started flying by all the nearby trees, setting them on fire from its wings as well.

As this was happening, David pulled Anna along, running towards his jeep with Comet and Luna following close behind.

"David, we have to stay and-"

"There's nothing we can do, Anna," David told her. "This is way out of our league. It's best if we get out of here." He opened up the driver side door and hopped inside. Anna moaned in frustration, but complied and hopped into the other side.

"We'll stay behind, David, col!" Luna told him.

"Someone needs to get the Phoenix power and make sure it gets back to Queen Starcy, umi," Comet added. David nodded and then backed the jeep out of the burning area and started driving as fast as he could down the road to safety.

"Well, I believe our work here is done," Hercules told the three that were with him, most of the Cures distracted by the group's former ally becoming a Kuroihoshi. "Let's let Phoenix take care of those Cures."

"Agreed," Lyra seconded, turning away from the monster that she helped cultivate.

"Well, if those girlies can't take on this weakling, then they can't take on me," Draco bragged, smirking all the while. He, Lyra, and Hercules suddenly disappeared from view.

Ophiuchus remained behind.

She sighed and then screamed as she launched herself at the Kuroihoshi. She punched it right in its stomach. It groaned and fell out of the air and onto the ground. More trees were set ablaze when the Kuroihoshi came into contact with them.

"Cure Ophiuchus," Aquarius pointed out to everyone else. Everyone took a tense stance against her as she walked away from the downed fire bird and towards the group.

"I am no longer here to fight you," she told them all. She pointed at the monster. "I am now here to stop the Phoenix power from going out of control."

"Ophiuchus…" Cancer trailed off. "Okay, but I'm keeping an eye on you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Cancer," Ophiuchus slightly smirked at the vampire.

Ophiuchus was the first one to launch herself at the out-of-control Kuroihoshi with Virgo following shortly behind. Ophiuchus went below and Virgo flew above it and, despite the simmering flames, managed to kick it in the stomach and back respectively. More of the Cures swarmed all sides of the Kuroihoshi as it started falling to the ground.

However, before most of them could even try to get close to it, the bird relit it flames, pushing everyone away from it and giving most of them burns on their bodies while yelling "KUROIHOSHI PHOENIX!" All except Scorpio fell to the ground with the exception landing on her feet. She laughed as she flew higher and higher into the air.

"You're fun to play with," she told the Kuroihoshi. She went to kick the bird from above, her right leg suddenly being surrounded by black flames.

"KUROIHOSHI PHOENIX!" it said again as regular colored flames pooled into its mouth. It then released the stream of flames.

Taurus was the first to recover from the onslaught of flames. "SCORPIO!" she yelled, seeing the attack coming right towards her half-demon friend. She placed both hands over her badge, quickly removing them. Red light shone from the badge. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Red light started forming around her body. "Taurus Teleport!" She then disappeared and reappeared besides Scorpio in a brief flash of red light. She grabbed onto her friend and the two disappeared, materializing on the ground in the same flash of light.

"Aw, come on, party pooper," Scorpio pouted at Taurus. "I was going to get him good." Her tail whipped back and forth as she started giggling again. Taurus sighed before disappearing in a flash of red light again.

Everyone else got up, watching as the Kuroihoshi went back to destroying the forest around them. Pisces wiped the sweat off her brow.

"It's getting really hot here, col," the pink dove flew over towards the other Cures. She was panting heavily. Comet nodded on the ground, not being able to speak his agreement.

"We need to hurry and stop Len," Sagittarius told the others. All the Cures minus Ophiuchus nodded and started running towards the monstrous bird, some of them closer to the Kuroihoshi than others.

Aquarius managed to land on one of the tails alongside Libra. "Come on!" the deceivingly looking older woman told the vase-turned-human.

"我們會做什麼?" Aquarius asked her.

"We're going to try to take this big birdy out of the air!" Libra told him.

"我想我可以這樣做," he replied. Both Cures flipped over and kicked the giant bird in the back, making it stumble in the air. Both kicked away from it and Aquarius clapped his hands on his badge. Blue light shone off of it. Water started swirling around him, forming into many balls floating in midair. He then brought the balls in front of him. "Aquarius Balloons!" The balls were launched one at a time at the falling bird.

The water hit the Kuroihoshi's wing. It screeched in pain as its wing sizzled out. Ophiuchus came from below and punched the fiery bird's stomach again. She was joined shortly after by Virgo, Leo, and Scorpio with the final Cure's arm being covered in black flames, the punches so powerful that it sent it back up in the air slightly. The six Cures then landed on the ground near each other. As they turned around to face the Kuroihoshi again, it unleashed another massive torrent of flames.

Taurus suddenly appeared in front of them with Aries in tow. The later placed both of her hands on her badge and removed them, a sky blue light shining out from it. She placed her hands above her head, blue glitter being drawn to them. "Aries Barrier!"

Instead of torching all the Cures alive, Aries held her hands out in front of her, a somewhat see-through, sparkly, sky blue barrier appearing just in front of them and the flames it that instead.

"Just in time," Aries sighed in relief. The others sighed, too. Scorpio, however, groaned in frustration. Leo ran towards the Kuroihoshi, leaped into the air, performed multiple front flips, and axe kicked its wing before landing on all fours back on the ground. The torrent of fire stopped and the giant fiery monster struggled to stay upright in the air.

Gemini quickly followed up on Leo's attack. Blue Gemini smirked as she went high while Pink Gemini wore a face of concentration as she went low. Pink Gemini punched the wing that Leo had just kicked from below while Blue Gemini punched the top side of the opposite wing at the exact same time. The resulting blows flipped the Kuroihoshi over itself multiple times as Gemini glided away from it.

"Sagittarius, Capricorn, Cancer, now's your chance!" Blue Gemini yelled to them. "Bring Len back, you hear?!" The three Cures nodded from where they stood on the ground. All three of them placed their hands on their badges and then removed them, pink light shining off of Sagittarius's badge while orange light shone off of Cancer's and the light coming from Capricorn's badge was yellow.

Sagittarius lifted up her right hand. Light that was all different kinds of colors came to her hand to form a sphere as the cloth hanging from her wrist was glowing rainbow."Sagittarius Burst!" She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky. She brought her thumb down and a beam of rainbow-colored light came out of her two fingers heading straight for the Kuroihoshi.

Cancer kicked the ground. Lava started pouring out of it. However, instead of covering her like it did before, it formed a ball in front of her. She then threw it up into the air. "Cancer Eruption!" She then spiked it as hard as she could. The ball of lava turned into a barrage of smaller balls all aimed at the Kuroihoshi.

Capricorn crossed his hands above his head. His two pistols appeared in his hands. He aimed both of them at his brother-turned-Kuroihoshi. Lightning surged from his hands and into the barrels of the guns. "Capricorn Bullet!" He pulled the trigger too many times to count in a second, many shots of little lightning bolts heading towards the Kuroihoshi.

All three attacks hit the Kuroihoshi at the same time. It screamed "KUROIHOSHI PHOENIX!" in pain. It lost even more of its stability in the air and crashed into the ground again. The flames on its body started dying out. The bird started pushing off the ground with its wings, struggling to get up and continue fighting.

Pisces took this chance and placed her hands on her badge. An aqua green light shone off of it. She held her hands together, a mini snowstorm brewing in her palms. "Pisces Blizzard!" She started spinning around and around in a circle. Absurd amounts of snow started swirling all around her and towards everywhere else.

Her fellow Cures braced themselves against the raging snow as did Comet and Luna. However, the giant fire bird's flames slowly ebbed away as did the surrounding fires as it became more and more buried in the snow.

Just as the Cures were starting to relax, the giant bird spontaneously combusted, causing an explosion that threw all of the Cures and the two fairies that were trying to stay out of the fight back, all of them landing near each other prone on the ground. All the Cures but Scorpio and Aries started sporting second degree burns on their bodies. The nearby trees reignited with a renewed passion. The snow on the ground, the vegetation, and the Kuroihoshi melted so fast that it skipped the liquid stage and went straight to gas.

"What… just happened?" Pisces asked the others. Confusion was written all over her face. "I thought I had him."

"While both Scorpio and Phoenix control flames, the type of flames they control are entirely different," Libra explained. "Scorpio controls the black flames which are meant to destroy. Phoenix controls the orange flames which are meant to bring life."

"So no matter how many times you bring it down, it will just keep rising, col?" Luna asked with a worry looked on her face.

"Not necessarily," Ophiuchus answered the pink dove as she struggled to her feet. "If everyone was to use the Sparkling Starlight, everyone might be able to separate the power from Len." She then stood up and placed her hands over her badge. When she removed them, a silver light radiated from it.

She spun around a couple of times. Ophiuchus then knelt down to the ground and poised to strike it. "Ophiuchus Grasp!" She then stuck the ground with an open palm.

The ground burst open from where the Kuroihoshi was about to get back up into the air. Silver ribbons came out and started wrapping around its talons. It yelled out "KUROIHOSHI PHOENIX!" as it tried to fly away. The ribbons kept pulling it down, keeping it from flying away.

"Hurry! Do it now!" Ophiuchus ordered the other Cures. The monstrous bird screeched "KUROIHOSHI PHOENIX!" as it increased the fire on its body. The flames started burning away at the silver ribbons that were holding it. "I don't know how long I can hold the Kuroihoshi down!"

"Everyone, follow our lead," Virgo told the other Cures – referencing herself, Libra, Cancer, and Aries – as they stood up one by one. "We start by standing in a circle and we have to stand in order." When everyone was up on their feet, they followed Virgo's directions and stood to form a circle.

"Alright everyone, let's do this," Sagittarius told them. They all nodded in agreement.

All the Cures clapped their hands on their badges three times. They held their hands out in front of them with the two Gemini doing so with their outside hands, the opposite hand grasping the other. The Z on the badges came off and floated to their upturned palms. They turned into the power that they held inside of them, all of the powers hovering slightly above their palms.

"Sagittarius Colors!" A small sphere that was colored in rainbow flew away from her and floated in the middle of the air.

"Capricorn Lightning!" A lightning bolt with sparks flying off of it hovered up next to the other.

"Aquarius Waters!" His ball of water joined the other two powers.

"Pisces Ice!" An ice crystal floated away from her.

"Aries Light!" A ball of sky blue sparkles flew away from her.

"Taurus Space!" A small, red spiral galaxy flew to float next to it.

"Gemini Wind!" Green wind hovered away from them to join the forming circle.

"Cancer Magma!" A small sphere of magma joined the others.

"Leo Flora!" A daisy flew up to the others.

"Virgo Music!" A small, white music note joined the others in the almost complete circle.

"Libra Justice!" A golden scale balancing two tiny balls of light and darkness flew away.

"Scorpio Flames!" Black flames were the last to join the rest of the powers, completing the circle of all the different powers they wielded.

"Assemble, Zodiac Ring!" The powers started spinning in a circle. Light burst off of it, revealing a giant, golden ring with everyone's symbols carved around the outside of it with two slightly smaller rings inside of it. Sagittarius turned around along with Scorpio and Capricorn. All of the other Cures walked alongside them, lining up to form one line. The Zodiac Ring tilted upwards and pointed at the trapped Kuroihoshi.

"Let all of our powers combine into one!" Sagittarius said out loud, raising her hands up into the air. The symbols on the outside started to glow with different colored lights and the inner rings started spinning around in a circle opposite of each other, a golden light started to build in the center.

"Let it shine through the blackest of the darkness!" the other Cures followed up, raising their hands into the air as well. The rings spun faster and faster and the light grew more and more intense.

"Pretty Cure Zodiac Sparkling Starlight!" they all yelled out at the same time. The glow of the golden light became very intense. Suddenly, the light turned into a golden beam. The beam struck the Kuroihoshi with such intensity that it started glowing gold as well.

"KUROIHOSHI PHOENIX!" it cried out in pain. The resulting explosion was bigger than usual.

However, as the smoke cleared, Len was shown to be where the giant explosion took place with a glowing power right next to him. The fires that plagued both the mansion and the surrounding forest slowly dissipated, showing no signs of any damage to anything. Anything that had already been damage was slowly rebuilding itself. The ribbons that were trapping the Kuroihoshi went back into the ground as the Cure in charge of them stood up.

"Gotta hurry, umi," Comet whispered to himself as he and Luna ran and flew respectively towards the power. The small, yellow panda took out one of the crystals and held it up next to the power. It went inside of it and then quickly disappeared.

"Len!" Sagittarius cried out as she ran over to her unconscious brother. Capricorn ran after her. Sagittarius knelt down next to him and started shaking his shoulders lightly. "Len, wake up! Len!"

He groaned and started stirring. He slowly blinked his eyes opened. "R-Rose? Axl?" Tears started welling up in his eyes. "I'm... I'm so sorry..." Sagittarius lifted him up into a sitting position and hugged him tight. Capricorn came up to the side and wrapped his arms around them both. While Len started all out crying, all three had tears coming out of their eyes.

Blue Gemini wrapped an arm around Pink Gemini's shoulder, tears threatening to fall from the former's eyes. Pink Gemini wrapped her arm around Blue Gemini's back. Libra grabbed Virgo's hand and squeezed it tightly which was the angel quickly replied to, neither looking at each other. Scorpio's demonic features faded away. Everyone else stared on at the family, watching them reconcile without words.

Ophiuchus was the first one to look away. She pulled her key ring and three keys off of her hip and looked at them. She took the gold one off and started walking towards the siblings.

"Sagittarius," she spoke. All of the siblings looked up to her. "You are the current leader of the Zodiac; this now belongs to you." She held out the golden key. The pink Cure wiped her eyes before slowly reaching out towards the key and taking it from the silver Cure.

"Len, this now yours," she continued, holding her other keys and her key ring out to him.

"B-but I can't!" Len told her, grabbing at his disheveled hair. "Y-you saw what happened with the Phoenix power!"

"That power was not meant for you, not like how the Sagittarius power is meant for your sister or the Capricorn power chose you older brother a long time ago," she explained. "This power is meant for you, even if you do not believe so now." She carefully took one of Len's hands and handed him her remaining keys. "Trust in it and you'll have nothing to fear..."

She fell to the ground.

"Ophiuchus!" Cancer shouted. She, Virgo, Libra, and Aries ran over to her, the other Cures and fairies staying close by, and Sagittarius helping Len to his feet. Cancer scooped Ophiuchus up into her arms.

"My time is about up," Ophiuchus whispered, a sad smile on her face. "You, Virgo, and Libra knew that I was using the Ophiuchus power to extend my own lifespan afterall."

"How... long have you been alive?" Taurus worked up the courage to ask.

"Too long," Ophiuchus replied with a small smirk. She then turned towards the others. "The Ophiuchus power is cursed with a terrible fate; those chosen must stay alive until the next chosen one can be given the power. That way no Kuroihoshis can result from mismanagement of the power from outside forces.

"That's why I joined them," she continued. A few eyes widened in understanding, but most were still confused. "I had tracked down Len to Japan at a high school and was about to confront him, but Camerina beat me to it. She threatened him with his twin sister's death if he didn't take the power, destroy Cure Sagittarius, and help her reach her goals. The only way I could save him was if I got close enough to make sure he didn't do anything he would regret without Camerina realizing what I wanted to do." She looked over towards Len. "I'm sorry I didn't do a better job of protecting you, Len."

Len looked speechless.

Ophiuchus then turned to Virgo and Libra. "Gabriella, you've already seen so many of us come and go already. I'm sorry that you have to see me pass on as well."

"Don't be sorry for that," Virgo grabbed her hand, tears threatening to fall. "It's my privilege as a friend to be there at your side in every major step of life you take. If I can help put even a little more happiness into your life, then I've been a good friend."

Ophiuchus looked shocked, and then a genuine smile appeared. "Thank you, Gabriella. You did bring fun and happy times into my life. I could never repay you back for all of that." She then looked at Libra.

"Joanna, it's almost time-"

"I know," Libra replied. "And I've accepted what is going to happen."

"Then you and Gabriella should really get everything finalized very soon," she smirked before turning towards Aries.

"You, Zi-Zi, you must protect everyone's powers from falling into unworthy hands." She took her hand out of Virgo's and grabbed onto one of Aries's. "I know you can do it; I would trust no one else to be able to do so." Aries just nodded.

"Iris, no, Axl," Ophiuchus looked at Capricorn. "I know you don't remember me, and that's okay, but I'm glad I got to see you again, even if it was in these circumstances."

"Ophiuchus," Capricorn trailed off. "I'm… I'm glad I got to see you, too." He grinned as big as he could.

It was at that point that David's jeep pulled up. Both he and Anna got out of it and ran over to where all of the Cures and fairies were gathered only to see what was happening. Neither said anything.

"Hey, Lana," Ophiuchus got her attention. "Remember the time when we were being chased by that French town?"

"That was because Loup had everyone believing that werewolves existed," Cancer chuckled back. "Stupid wolf couldn't even tell when he was being followed."

"We had a lot of fun running away from them, though," Ophiuchus smiled as her outfit changed back into regular street clothes, her hair turned white and shortened drastically, and her grey eyes started becoming dull. "I just want you to know that throughout all this time, you are my best friend."

"Same here, Naga," Cancer told her, holding her a little tighter.

"I'm... so... tired… and… happy..." she replied, closing her eyes with a smile on her face.

She started glowing, her form changing. When the glow disappeared, Naga had become a giant, white and sliver boa constrictor. Her body then started turning into silver sparkles, starting at the tail and working its way up to her head.

When she fully disappeared, Cancer started crying openly, her hands covering her eyes. Tears started running down some of the other faces in the group. Virgo gathered Libra into her arms and hugged her tightly, tears falling onto the later's shoulder. Libra hugged back tightly, her own tears falling onto the angel's shoulder.

 _I'll be next soon,_ Libra thought to herself. _I don't…_

 _I don't want to leave Gabe alone._

* * *

"Aw…" Camerina complained. She was sitting on her throne, watching the scene between the Cures take place despite there not being any projection whatsoever. She looked very disappointed to the three that served her.

"Is something the matter, Camerina?" Hercules asked with a calm tone of voice. Despite his voice, he face and stance clearly showed that he was getting sick and tired of Camerina's looking disappointed.

"It's Cure Libra," she answered. "I was really expecting her to kick the bucket in that battle."

"Camerina, I know that Libra is actually an old lady, but that doesn't mean that she's just going to drop dead the next time she fights," Lyra argued.

"But you don't even know how old she is," Camerina countered. "She is a lot older than she looks." She then stood up. "Oh well, she'll go ahead and kick the thing soon enough."

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

* * *

Axl sighed in relief. Everyone had called, asking about if everything was okay. Since Rose and Len were reconciling, it had been up to him to answer everyone's questions.

Suddenly, the phone rang one more time. Axl groaned before answering it.

"Hello, Stevens residence."

"Hey, Axl!"

"Sam!" Axl was surprised. He hadn't told his youngest sister anything since she was over in Germany with their great uncle. "How are you doing?"

"I just had a huge adventure – one you would not believe," Sam told him. "I need to tell you about it."

"Funny you should say that, little sis," Axl leaned on the entrance way, looking into the living room. He saw that the twins had fallen asleep on the couch while playing Super Smash Brothers. "We have one heck of an adventure to tell you, too."


	13. Ophiuchus's Revival! Libra's Swan Song!

June 21, 2011.

Joanna put the newspaper back on the table before walking shelves filled with books. She looked through the entire fiction section, seeing if she could find a good book to read. She took one off the shelf and looked at the cover. She noticed that it was a Doctor Who cover. She chuckled a little bit and opened the cover.

"Joanna?"

The elderly woman looked to her left to see Gabriella looking at her. She closed her book and replied with a smile and a "'ello, Gabriella. 'ow are you doing?"

Gabriella grabbed her own arm and looked away from the elderly woman. Joanna sighed, placing her book back on the library shelf and looking at the angel. "Gabriella…" She knew what she meant.

After getting the Phoenix power back and seeing Naga pass on, she had talked with Gabriella about her incoming death. Joanna had explained to her while this fight wasn't her last, the next one could very well be. She had also told her best friend that she wished she didn't have to leave her all by herself – she may have been old for her species, but Gabriella was immortal.

Gabriella had run away from her, crying, and flew away into the night sky. Joanna didn't see her at all yesterday.

Joanna wanted one more normal day with Gabriella.

"Ya wanna go do something fun?" she asked her best friend. "We haven't done something fun in a long time."

"B-but-"

"Today, we are not going to think about that," Joanna told her. "Today, we will leave this dreary library and do fun things and have a wonderful time." Gabriella palmed her eyes and nodded to Joanna with a smile on her face. "That's more like it."

The elderly, mortal woman took the young, immortal angel's hand and dragged her off.

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

Tommy and Brach were sitting outside a café. From across the street they could see Rose and Axl as Iris dressed up in light jackets, hats, and sunglasses while peeking over their menus at the two. Both looked slightly disturbed at what their friends were doing.

"What are those two doing?" Tommy asked Brach.

"I think they're spying on us," he replied.

The two then looked at each other. "Don't tell Len?" they both asked each other at the same time. "Don't tell Len," they agreed.

They both saw Len walking down the street with Galaxy on his shoulder. The two waved to him. He saw them and raised a hand in response. Galaxy started waving back at them. As Len sat down at the table, Galaxy hopped off his shoulder and sat down at the table.

"Long time no see, Brach, Tommy, ari," Galaxy greeted them.

"You, too, Galaxy," Brach replied. "Where's Luna at?"

"She went with Cure Aquarius, ari," Galaxy told them. The two nodded in understanding.

The group ordered some food and Brach and Tommy started eating. Brach and Tommy noticed that Rose and Iris only ordered water and was sipping it creepily. The two shuddered at their two friends' actions.

"Are you alright, Len, ari?" Galaxy asked him when she took her head out of her salad. "You haven't touched your sandwich, ari."

Len sighed. "Sorry, I-I just…" He cradled his head in his hands.

"Dude, does it have something to do with the Phoenix power?" Brach asked. "Remember, we're here for you."

"It's… It's not the Phoenix power," Len told them. "Well, not entirely… What did Axl tell you guys the other day?"

"Axl said that he was calling everyone up and letting them know that the Phoenix power was removed from you," Tommy answered.

Len said nothing. Instead, he placed the Ophiuchus Keys on the table.

Both boys gasped at the revelation, never having suspected that he would be actually chosen like Rose, Chloe, Stephanie, or Axl. Galaxy, having already known about it, reacted with confusion.

"But you can control this power and you won't turn into a Kuroihoshi, ari," Galaxy told him. "You have nothing to worry about, ar-"

"BUT WHAT IF I DO?!" Len yelled out. He took deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down. "I… I couldn't control the Phoenix power. What if the same thing that happened with it happens with the Ophiuchus power?"

Before anyone could answer, there was an explosion with a loud "KUROIHOSHI HOROLOGIUM!". People were running away from it while both Rose and Iris (who left some pocket change behind) got up and ran towards it. Galaxy jumped off of the table and ran towards the explosion as well. As if by instinct, the three boys also got up from the table and started running towards the explosion and the suspected Kuroihoshi (with Len leaving behind a twenty to pay for the food).

* * *

Gabriella and Joanna first went to the arcade in the Nightingale City mall. They walked inside and Joanna pointed to an arcade version of Guitar Hero. She pulled the older angel along like she was a young kid and both of them ended up grabbing one of the guitar controllers and chose a song from the 70s that they both liked. Both picked the hardest difficulty level.

Gabriella started grinning when the song finally started up. Joanna was, to everyone that started watching the two play the game, was surprised that an old lady was so skilled at the game. Gabriella, however, being the servant and guard to the Gods of Noise and Music, was able to keep up the rhythm and press the correct buttons accordingly.

Everyone was cheering for the two to see who would win the game – the old woman or the young lady. The angel couldn't help but smirk at her longtime friend. Joanna smirked back, glad that the angel no one could see.

At the end, everyone cheered when it was shown that the two both got a perfect score. The two smiled at each other.

They continued with different games including dancing (which Gabriella won), racing (which Joanna won), and shooting (which both were equally terrible at and ended up laughing more often than not).

The two then went out for food when it was time for lunch. They got hamburgers and fries from the mall's food court and the two couldn't help but smile and giggle at each other the entire time. They also fed each other fries (which earned them some glances from others, but the two didn't notice).

The two went to the movies and watched some comedy that they couldn't name later. Luckily, they were the only two in the theatre and were able to laugh as loud as they wanted at the shenanigans on the screen.

Afterwards, the two finally left the mall and went to a nearby park. They started walking through it together. Both were smiling as they walked through the park.

Joanna suddenly noticed that Gabriella's smile drop into a frown. "Is something the matter, Gabe?"

"I had such a great day today," Gabriella told Joanna. "I guess... I'm just scared..."

"Scared about what?"

Joanna was worried. This wasn't the Gabriella that she knew for pretty much all of her life. Even when something dark was happening in their life, she was still happier than anyone else she had ever known. Joanna had a pretty good idea of what she was talking about, though she may not even want to say it out loud even as her best friend probed for more information.

"There are still so many more powers to get back," Gabriella continued on. Tears started to form in her eyes. "I-I know you were always eventually going to… you know… but I just… I just…"

The angel started crying. Joanna drew her into a hug. Wings invisible to the everyday passerby encompassed the two as tears of pure grief fell from the angel's eyes. Gabriella hugged back as tightly as she could.

They didn't know how long they stayed like that, but when Gabriella's tears were finally starting to clear up, the two heard a sound that they had become quite accustomed to, a building falling to the ground. Gabriella looked like she was about to say something, but Joanna quickly started speaking before she got the chance.

"If the next time I use the Libra power I die, I would rather die fighting than laying down in a bed waiting for my last breath." Gabriella's breath hitched when she said that, but she stayed quiet.

She then asked "Is that what you really want?"

"Yes," Joanna replied without missing a beat.

Gabriella took a deep breath, nodded, and picked up the elderly woman bridal style. She then flew as high as she could into the air with the extra weight of a person. She hummed a tune to herself as they flew as high off the ground as they could.

* * *

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac! Star Power!"

Both Rose and Iris yelled this as they continued to run down the road towards the monster. They pushed the magical arrays along in front of them with their free hand while they used the other one to insert and turn the key. It broke apart as they ran through the shards of it.

For Rose, rainbow rings appeared at the end of each of her limbs and underneath her feet. They came up and replaced her clothes with pink light that became her Pretty Cure outfit. Rainbow light bathed her hair, changing it to the correct color and style.

Iris was struck by lightning. Electricity surged in and out of her body at different points. It changed her into her yellow and purple armor and changed her hairstyle as well.

Both still ran without breaking their stride despite the high heels forming on both of their feet in the time of a few seconds. Both of them placed the key rings on their right hips and placed their hands on the left side of their chests. When their hands were removed, their badges appeared in their respective colors.

"The archer, dancing with all the colors!" Rose shouted out while continuing to run. She struck a ballet pose before getting into one that matched her constellation. "Cure Sagittarius!" Rainbow glitter suddenly busted out from behind her, falling to the ground.

"The goat, sailing through the storming seas!" Iris said while pointing towards the nearest, far away ocean. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation while still heading towards their destination. "Cure Capricorn!" Lightning then struck the ground behind her.

All of the civilians had been evacuated by this point so no one had seen them transform. Any cameras that had been around had also been destroyed as well leaving no evidence that the human and the 'human' were the ones defeating the monsters that had been plaguing the city since the start of summer. Tommy, Brach, Len, and Galaxy ran right behind them, keeping pace with the two and still barely doing so when they transfored.

"KUROIHOSHI HOROLOGIUM!" The group heard it before they saw it. They paused as the ground rumbled a bit. Around the corner from a tall building was a massive grandfather clock with eyes on its face and limbs.

"That… is… a big one," Tommy concluded.

"Len, help them!" Brach told him.

"I… I…" Len started, looking at the keys in his hands.

Sagittarius launched herself at the Kuroihoshi first. Capricorn muttered to herself "You're doing this for the human inside," while slapping her own face a little bit. She leaped after Sagittarius.

Sagittarius kicked the ten story clock on the front of the glass door with Capricorn following up with a punch. However, the two seemed to do very little in the way of damage if their gasps were any indications. Sagittarius kicked off of the gigantic monster while Capricorn continued to try and hit with her feet, hands, elbows, and knees, but it with only mild annoyance from the Kuroihoshi.

Sagittarius placed her hands on her badge. Pink light shone from it. Sagittarius lifted up her right hand. Light that was all different kinds of colors came to her hand to form a sphere as the cloth hanging from her wrist was glowing rainbow.

"Sagittarius Burst!" She brought down her hand and aimed it like a gun at the Kuroihoshi. She brought her thumb down and the rainbow ball became a beam of rainbow light. The beam hit the Kuroihoshi right in the face. While it did initially flinch from taking the hit, it quickly started pushing back from it. "What?!"

It smacked the pink Cure right out of the air. She screamed as she landed on the road, creating a crater around the impact zone. "Sagittarius!" Capricorn called out. She kicked off from the Kuroihoshi as well, landing gracefully on the ground and ran over to her little sister.

The others ran over as well to make sure that she was okay. Brach and Capricorn slowly helped her get up into a sitting position. She grimaced and had a lot of dirt on her.

"I-I'm fine," Sagittarius insisted. She then looked up and her face paled considerable. The others looked up as well.

"KUROIHOSHI HOROLOGIUM!" it shouted as it brought its foot down. Capricorn went to catch it while the others cowered behind them. The yellow Cure braced herself for the impact.

…Which never came.

When everyone opened their eyes, they saw Galaxy floating in the air in front of Cure Capricorn. Her hooves were held up and the little fairy was glowing sky blue while a sky blue shield protected them from the giant clock's foot.

"Is everyone alright, ari?" Galaxy asked. No one answered her.

It pulled its foot back to try again. Before it could bring it down again, everyone watched as Gabriella flew through the air and kicked it as hard as she could right on top of its head. The ten story tall clock fell over very slowly. Galaxy dropped the barrier and fell back down to the ground.

"Gabriella!" Capricorn said with a sigh.

"It looks like that one's been cookin' for a while," Joanna told the others as she walked up around the corner. "The trick to fightin' Kuroihoshis at that size is knowing where and when to strike."

"Len, Galaxy, you should transform," Gabriella smirked at the two as she pulled out her keys. She didn't see Joanna doing the same thing. Both pulled off the bronze key from the key ring and threw the latter into the air. The magical arrays appeared in front of them.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" the two said, putting their keys into the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys, the arrays breaking apart.

After Gabriella sang a short melody, music notes flew around her on music staffs. When they wrapped around her, they changed into her Cure outfit in a flash of white light. Her wings became visible to the common person.

Joanna was wrapped up in purple light, becoming a teenager with her Cure eye color and hair style. She was clothed in her Pretty Cure outfit when the purple light dispersed around her.

Both of them placed the key rings on their right hips and placed their hands on the left side of their chests. When their hands were removed, their badges appeared in their respective colors.

"The woman, singing from the heavens above!" the angel said with both hands on her chest and her wings closed up behind her. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation with her wings stretched out behind her. "Cure Virgo!" Small music notes started floating down around her.

"The scales that judge the fates of all!" the now young teenager said with a finger on her chin. She then struck a pose that matched her constellation. "Cure Libra!" Purple light shone from the pearls on her head.

The Kuroihoshi finally hit the ground.

A sad smile was written across Virgo's face while Capricorn and Sagittarius got off of the floor. Sagittarius started thinking up a plan.

"Capricorn, go the opposite way and get its attention," she said. "Virgo, Libra, you're with me. Let's try to defeat that thing!" The four nodded and spread out from where everyone was at as the Kuroihoshi got back up to its feet.

"B-but I-" Len was finally trying to reply when lots of smoke started pouring out from Galaxy. The three teenage boys looked at her in shock. When the smoke disappeared, Zi-Zi was standing in her place.

"Len, transform now!" she ordered. He started a bit from the revelation, but then nodded nervously. They both took the bronze key off their key rings and threw the latter up into the air. Zi-Zi's turned into a sky blue, magic array while Len's fell to the ground.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" she yelled out, putting her key into the middle of the array. "Star Power!" She turned the key and the array broke apart.

For Zi-Zi, sky blue glitter swirled around her. Her clothes glowed sky blue, morphing into her new outfit. The glitter formed her accessories and her shoes after the light left her clothes.

"The ram, protecting all from the mountaintop!" she declared. She spun around a few times, sky blue glitter flying off of her hands as she did so. "Cure Aries!" The glitter exploded like fireworks before disappearing from sight.

"Wh… What?" Len asked himself. He slumped to his knees and picked up the key ring from the ground.

"G-Galaxy c-can t-turn into a h-human?" Tommy was frozen to place while Brach went over to make sure that Len was okay.

"If you don't trust in the Ophiuchus power, then it will not allow you to use it," Aries told him before joining the other four Cures. Len continued to look at the keys in his hand as the battle continued to be fought in front of him.

The yellow Cure placed her hands on her badge and removed them, the badge giving off a yellow light when she did so. Capricorn crossed her hands above her head. Two pistols that looked like they came straight out a video game appeared in her hands. She aimed it at the Kuroihoshi. Lightning surged from her hands and into the barrel of the gun.

"Capricorn Bullet!" She pulled the trigger too many times to count in a second, many shots of little lightning bolts heading towards the Kuroihoshi. They all hit, but they didn't seem to do any damage. The Kuroihoshi went to punch the Reploid, but Sagittarius, Virgo, Libra, and Aries went to kick it in the head.

Before they could do anything, the giant grandfather clock was suddenly bent over and the four of them ran into each other. They all cried out in pain as the Kuroihoshi quickly stood back up and knocked the Cures into Capricorn. The group rolled off each other as they started getting up while the monster went about destroying the nearby buildings.

"W-What just happened?" Capricorn asked as she pushed herself up. She briefly glowed, but grimaced to keep herself in that form.

"Horologium can manipulate its own timestream," Aries explained she went to a knee. "And the longer a power has been inside of an unworthy one, the larger the Kuroihoshi is when it's finally born."

Libra finally got to her feet and walked over to Len. She knelt down in front of him.

"Ah've lived a very long life," she told him. "Even ma own morality is starin' me in the face right now. And Ah'm scared. But Ah won't let ma fear stop me from fighting." She then walked up to the other Cures as Sagittarius and Virgo started making a new game plan.

Len looked at the keys again. The words both Aries and Libra said to him bouncing around in his head. He then looked towards his siblings. Sagittarius was visibly bruised while Capricorn, while not sporting any outwardly signs of being injured, looked like she was struggling not to go back to her original form in case someone came their way.

"I… I need to help them," he whispered to himself. "I want to help them." He then stood up while looking down at the keys in his hands. "Cure Ophiuchus told me that I was chosen, that means I can use that power without worry, right?" He got no response. He clutched them tighter in his hands. "I'm scared, and I don't think I can trust this power entirely yet, but please, just this once, help me save my brother and sister!"

He threw the key ring into the air. It suddenly turned into a silver, magical array in front of him not too unlike the others – just with a different constellation in the center. "Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" he yelled before sticking the bronze key in the middle of the array. "Star Power!" He turned the key. The array broke apart.

"Len!" both Brach and Tommy yelled.

Silver ribbons came up from the ground underneath of him. They lifted him up slightly above the ground as they wrapped themselves around his body in the form of clothes. They completely covered his body, upper arms, and thighs. The ribbons were briefly turned into a silver light, replacing his clothes with a white t-shirt tucked into white shorts with the collar and ends of the sleeves of the former and the bottom of the latter being slate in color. Another ribbon made its way through the belt loops on his shorts. When the ends met, in a flash of light, it became a slate colored belt with his constellation symbol as a belt buckle. More ribbons came over his shoulders and started forming another piece of clothing. In a flash of silver light, it became a long, silver vest that stopped about an inch above the bottom of his shorts.

Len held out his hands and watched the silver ribbons intertwined themselves between his fingers and around his palms. One silver flash of light later and the ribbons turned into white, fingerless gloves. The ribbons then started going around his feet and ankles, completely covering his shoes. When he touched down onto the ground, the flash of silver light turned them into white combat boots with silver shoe laces. The top was looser on his, so slate socks rose about an inch from the top.

Silver ribbons started surrounding his hair, his earlobes, and his neck. In brief flashes of light, the ribbons let down his hair, turned it silver, gave him dangling star earrings, a silver choker, and had a star hairclip in the left side of his hair, keeping his bangs out of his eyes which were no longer covered by glasses.

He placed his key ring with keys on his right hip before placing his hands on the left side of his chest, removing them to see his badge appear in a flash of silver light.

"The snake bearer of life and death!" Len said with his palms pressed together. He then spun and posed to match his constellation. "Cure Ophiuchus!" Silver ribbons popped out of the ground behind him.

"Len…" Sagittarius gasped in awe.

"KUROIHOSHI HOLOROGIUM!" the monster yelled out as its fist flew towards them. The fist hit the ground near them, knocking the girls away and back onto the ground a few feet away. Its hand was suddenly back at his head to throw another punch.

Before the punch connected with the female Cures, the new Ophiuchus stood in front of them and caught the fist. Tommy and Brach were just looking at him with their jaws dropping to the floor while he struggled against the weight. When the Kuroihoshi's time suddenly backed up, Ophiuchus was accidentally dragged back up into the air.

He somehow pulled himself so he was standing on its fist. He then started running down its arm as both Sagittarius and Capricorn managed to get up and kick it behind its knees. The Kuroihoshi started falling to the ground. Ophiuchus yelled out loud as he kicked as hard as he could at the monster's head.

The Kuroihoshi fell over as the family landed back down to the ground. Ophiuchus didn't stop as he placed his hands on his badge. When he removed them, a silver light shone off of its badge. He spun around a couple of times. Ophiuchus then knelt down to the ground and poised to strike it. "Ophiuchus Grasp!" He then stuck the ground with an open palm.

The ground burst open from where the Kuroihoshi as it hit the ground. The silver ribbons from it started tying it down, keeping it from escaping. The Kuroihoshi seemed to phase out for a moment but quickly became solid again. "I don't know how long I can hold it!" Ophiuchus told them. "Hurry and defeat it!"

"I'll do it," Libra told the others as she walked past everyone else.

"J-Joanna!" Virgo cried out as Libra clapped her hands twice on her badge. A visible purple power flew off of her, preventing Virgo from getting closer. The Z came off of the badge and floated in front of her, glowing purple the entire time. It transformed into an object in front of her.

"Libra Scales!" she cried out as her hands hovered around the object. The light came off, showing a golden scale. The part she was grabbing was the pole and base that the scale itself rested on. The actual beam had a hollowed heart shape in the center of it with the end of the beam curling upwards. The hollowed heart held a perfect fitting, clear crystal inside of it. On each side were six jewels. Each jewel was a different color, representing those that the other Cures wore. On the pointed ends were three gold chains (which each link in the shape of a star) that were connected to a gold pan on both sides of the scale. Underneath both pans were Libra's symbol painted on – one in red and the other in blue. The scale disconnected from the base and she placed her pointer finger underneath the heart, now balancing on her finger.

"By the judges of the universe, I will weigh which is heavier in your heart!" she chanted, looking at the monster through the crystal heart, as red and blue streams came from the base it once rested on and into it. A magical array not unlike the one she transformed with faded into existence behind her, but this one had all of the Zodiac's symbols on the outside with Aries's at the top. Different colored glitter went to the two pans until they formed into an intricate weight made of light, the light matching the color of the symbol on the bottom. The red one was slightly heavier than the blue one. She then grabbed the scale like it was a bucket.

"Pretty Cure, Justice Weights!"

She flung the red weight at the Kuroihoshi first, then the blue one. They both flew towards the Kuroihoshi, mashing themselves together to create a giant purple weight with a slight red tint. The weight hovered over the monster that was still trying to break free of the ribbons Ophiuchus trapped it in.

Libra balanced the scale on her finger above her head. She then moved it downwards in an arc, following the path of the array behind her. She stopped when the scale reached the Libra symbol. "Zodiac!" She then posed with the scale still being balanced.

The weight fell on the monster, creating a giant explosion, not even allowing the monster a chance to yell out in pain. When the smoke finally gave way, all that was left was the Holorogium power and a grandfather clock which slowly tipped over with a gust of wind and broke.

"I'll get it!" Aries told everyone. She was once again surrounded in smoke. When it disappeared, Galaxy started running towards the power lying on the ground next to the broken grandfather clock as the city streets repaired themselves.

"Joanna!" Virgo cried out as the elderly woman collapsed to the ground. She ran to her and gathered her up in her arms. Joanna's eyes fluttered open and close. "Joanna, are you okay?"

"Looks like that was ma last battle," Joanna whispered.

"No no no no," Virgo started to cry. Her tears fell onto Joanna's face.

"Now, we knew this was comin' eventually," Joanna cupped her face. "I don't want to leave you alone, either, but even for my kind, we eventually have to die. Knowin' that I died trying to do the right thing, trying to save people, this world, this universe, then I can die happy."

Virgo kept shaking her head and repeated "No, Master, no," over and over.

"Joanna…" Capricorn trailed off.

"No way," Ophiuchus agreed. Sagittarius grabbed her brothers' hands and squeezed.

"Guys… Is she glowing?" Tommy pointed out.

"OMG she's totally glowing!" Brach's eyes widened.

"W-What?" Virgo asked. She pulled away from the elderly woman and saw that, indeed, her hands were glowing. Her eyes widened as she helped the elderly woman up to her feet.

"H-How is this possible?" Joanna asked as she looked at her hands. Golden energy was lapping from her skin. "I-I thought that I was out…"

"No way, ari…" Galaxy said, standing right next to the power. The power didn't stay and went inside the crystal and disappeared.

"I-I've seen this before…" Capricorn said out loud, memories of a girl younger than his littlest sister floating through her processors.

"It looks like it's not ma day to meet ma maker!" Joanna cheered. She then turned to Virgo who was already backing away from her. "You may want to back away for this next part, Gabe."

The golden energy exploded from her, making the angel soar a few yards away from her. The energy came out of her head and her hands. It was so bright that everyone but Capricorn had to cover their eyes. All Capricorn could make out was a human body glowing a hot, white light from within the gold.

As soon as the explosion took place, it stopped. Where Joanna stood was now a young man that couldn't have been older than what Virgo looked in her clothes. His skin was much darker than everyone else's – almost as dark as Nina's – and his short, black hair was a bit on the wavy side. He stood over six feet tall, Joanna clothes barely fitting him.

"Ah-Ah can't believe that happened," he said while feeling his face, then his hair with an English accent. He then started laughing as he felt his hair, then his fingers. "This should be impossible!" He then turned to Virgo. "This should be impossible!" He walked over to her and helped her off the ground before scooping her up into a big hug.

"Oh, Ichos, Armonia, you're alive!" Joanna hugged back just as hard. The tears she was crying were tears of joy.

"Wh-what just happened?" Sagittarius was the first of the three siblings to say something. Ophiuchus just blinked. Capricorn's head had steam coming off of it trying to make sense of it. Brach and Tommy didn't move an inch.

"Sorry to disturb you two, ari," Galaxy said as she jumped onto the stranger's shoulder. "But I think we need to explain everything to everyone, ari."

"Yes, yes, you're quite right, uh, Galaxy, right?" he asked. The blue fairy nodded as he placed Virgo back down on the ground. "Alright, let's go get the other Cures!"

"Wha…" everyone out of the loop asked.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_


	14. New Reveals! The Zodiac History Told!

**Before we begin with the newest chapter, I would like to apologize for not posting last month. When projects, tests, homework, readings, and your grandma dying, some things get taken off the burner entirely. For me, it was video games and fanfiction writing. I hope to get caught up with the writing next month, so please bear with me for a little while. For now, enjoy this next chapter of Pretty Cure Zodiac!**

* * *

Draco walked towards Camerina's throne. His eyes were wide open and his massive jaw was slightly open. Camerina noticed his return.

"Well?" Camerina asked him, smirking at him. "How did it go?"

"Y-you weren't watching?" Draco asked.

"I was busy preparing other things," Camerina explained herself. She then got sterner. "Now, how did it go?"

"Well, I awakened the Kuroihoshi…"

"Uh huh."

"It sssstarted dessstroying the ccccity…"

"Yes…"

"Sssssome of the Zzzzodiac came…"

"Of course."

"They defeated it…"

"As planned."

"Libra started dying…"

"Go on."

"And then she turned into a he."

"…"

A powerful and malicious aura started flowing off of her. Draco, knowing that he stood no chance, slowly backed up to the door. He slipped through the entrance and slowly closed the door. As soon as it clicked shut, he could hear Camerina screaming in absolute fury. He could hear what little furniture that was in the room being thrown around and destroyed, her fury knowing no bounds. Hercules pulled him back from the door, shaking his head.

Suddenly, the door flew open. Camerina's hair was messed up. Her teeth were bared and she somehow managed to look more menacing and monstrous than the humanoid dragon standing in front of her. Both of their knees started shaking as they slowly backed away from her.

"The Master was supposed to die!" she screeched at the two. "THE MASTER WAS SUPPOSED TO DIE!" She started pulling at her hair. "RAUGH!" She went back into the room, the door slamming behind her, and started destroying more things inside. "THAT WASN'T WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!"

"She'sssss going to go herssssself, isssssn't she?" Draco whispered.

"I would be surprised if she didn't," Hercules replied in the same volume.

"THAT'S IT!" they hear her scream. They both unintentionally jumped at the sound. "I WILL GO FIGHT THEM MYSELF!" They heard some unstable laughter coming from the room. The two quickly made themselves scarce.

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

Eva decided to stay with her mother today. On their to-do list today was shopping for some new clothes. Both managed to find some clothes that matched their respective styles (and that her mom actually approved of) before starting their journey home. As they waited at the bus stop, they were both quiet as they waited with other people on the bus.

"…Hey, Mom," Eva broke the silence. "Wh-What do you think about the whole, um…"

"Oh, there you are!"

Eva jumped when Lana popped into her field of vision without any warning. The vampire only grinned, showing off her extra pointy canines, the amusement in her eyes hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.

"What was that all about?!" Eva asked, a bit of anger and annoyance laced into her voice. Some people around them were looking at them.

"It's time to meet everyone," she explained. She then turned to look at Eva's mother, lowering her sunglasses to look at her with orange eyes. "And you are coming with us, Ms. Dantevium." Without saying a word, her mother stood up. Lana grabbed Eva's wrist and dragged her along, her mother walking behind them as if in some sort of trance.

"Why do you keep doing that?!" Eva demanded. In her anger, her eyes seemed to take on a more demonic appearance, her pupils contracting in on the sides.

"I guess that will be one of the things we'll be going over today," she replied. She then turned into an alleyway. "Go on in."

Eva's emotions switched from angry to confused. What was a porta potty doing in the middle of an alley? Lana pushed her forward, smirking. Her mother followed her now, more likely under her own curiosity at this point rather than Lana's commands. The door was unlocked. She opened the door and saw the most surprising thing inside.

Instead of there being a toilet radiating an awful smell like she expected, there was an entire room inside of there. Right in the center was a control panel split into six different sections surrounding a glowing column with two more on opposites sides. There was also an upper balcony area and a lower floor. There were bookshelves and white boards on the walls of the lower area as if someone spent more time in there than they should. But the only thing both mother and daughter could think about was that-

"It's bigger on the inside…" Eva trailed off.

"Much bigger…" her mother agreed.

"Ah'm glad you noticed!" a man who she had never seen before said from the console. It was only then that Eva noticed the other people in the room. Some of them she recognized like her friends Anna, Gia, and Lori (with Lori looking like a fish out of water, gasping at every little thing around her) and some Pretty Cure acquaintances and some of them she didn't recognize like the two guys hanging out with Sagittarius and the former Phoenix.

"They were the last ones, Joanna!" Lana said as she closed the door behind her. She walked over to one of the panels and started pressing down on the controls along with the angel, the man that 'greeted' her, and a little, blue ram with the man telling the others what to do.

"There," the man wiped his hands off of each other. "Now no one will bother us."

"Okay, you promised," Rose said from her sitting place the balcony above. "We're all here. Please tell us what exactly is going on."

"And why everyone is speaking in Russian," Axl added.

"Russian?" Len looked at him with a funny look on his face. "You're speaking English."

"No, I'm speaking Russian right now," Axl said. "Это английский."

"Everyone is speaking perfect Chinese," Huaping added with just a whisper, shocking everyone.

"No, Japanese!" Lori countered after a beat.

"Oh, what the hey," Lana whispered to herself before proclaiming "German!"

"Wait," Chloe spoke from standing behind her. "Where's Joanna?"

"Who's Joanna?" Ms. Dantevium asked her daughter.

"I am!" the man that was at the control panels raised his hand.

Everyone was silent for a few moments before over half of the Cures, Anna, Tommy, Brach, and two of the three fairies were asking questions one after another, not giving anyone a chance to be heard over the other.

"QUIIIIEEET!" Gabriella's angelic screech pierced everyone's ears. Everyone covered them up from the excruciating pain. "Every. Single. Question. Will. Be. Answered. Okay?" Everyone nodded. "I'll start." She then took out her keys. All of the other Cures took out their sets of keys, too.

"Everyone that you see here is either a Pretty Cure or is too deeply involved with one Cure or another." Those that are Cures all took out their key sets. "Some of you are friends of Cures." She looked at Tommy and Brach sitting on the balcony floor next to Rose and Len. "Some of you are related to Cures." Her eyes glanced over to Ms. Dantevium standing next to her daughter and Anna standing next to her sister(s) off to the side on the middle floor. "And some of you were dragged into this world as complete strangers." She looked at David with Huaping on the lowest floor.

"The first thing you need to know is that there's more to our world than we know," she continued. "Even I as an angel-"

"YOU'RE AN ANGEL?!" Lori interrupted, her finger pointing at the winged immortal.

Gabriella waited a few beats before starting again. "Even I as an angel and the Gods that I serve don't know everything there is to know in this universe. Today, Joanna, Galaxy, Lana, and I will tell you everything."

"Actually, Ah've decided on a new name," 'Joanna' told the others. "It's Tanner now. Tanner Williams."

"Would you like to start then?" Gabriella gave him a sly smirk. Anna and Gia smirked at each other, sharing a knowing glance.

"Oh why not we've wasted enough time just gettin' everyone I want to get ta' ball rollin'." He then did a double take. "Oh, this one's impatient. I like it!" Everyone looked at each other with confusion written on their faces.

"Now, we are inside ma 'TARDIS'. That's Time And Relative Dimensions In Space – make sure to keep up. It's translating everything into your mother tongue by reading your minds and souls and right now Ah have us parked in the Andromeda Galaxy by going through the TimeStream." He snapped his fingers and the door opened up to show space outside of it. It closed after a few seconds.

"The TimeStream?!" Rose, Len, Axl, Tommy, Brach, Chloe, and Anna all asked at the same time, the ones that were sitting suddenly getting to their feet.

"We're in space?!" most everyone else screamed.

"IT'S READING MY MIND?!" Lori screeched, coving her head with her arms.

"No interrupting!" Tanner pointed at all of them. He then went to stroke the console. "This beauty here can travel through all of time and space throughout the entire universe. I won't bore you with the specifics."

"B-but I though TARDISes were from-"

"A fictional British tele show called Doctor Who?" Tanner interrupted Gia. "Most of that show is fictional like the Daleks and the Weeping Angels and most of the other planets, but most everything about 'Gallifrey' is true." He put air quotations around Gallifrey.

"S-so you're…"

"What you humans usually refer to as Time Lord," Tanner confirmed. "We've also been called Lords of Time, Dominus temporis, Gallifreyans, Chronarchs, Presenters, gods, there's a lot of names we've been called over the years; you can't actually say the name of ma race, but Time Lord's the closest translation."

"I really didn't like it when they were calling you Ra," Joanna muttered underneath her breath. "You don't even look like him."

"As if Ah did, mon ange," Tanner replied with a slight smirk. Joanna blushed at – what most everyone saw – was obvious flirtation.

"Okay, okay, enough flirting, you two," Brach said from the balcony. "How old are you then, Tanner?"

"Over 10,000 years old," he replied. "I'm still just a kid compared to mon ange."

"And I'm a newborn baby compared to mon ange that _you somehow know about_ ," Rose replied with a glare as she held her shooting star pendant. David's eyebrow rose at her accusation, but he said nothing. "Now, can we move on to what the Zodiac actually is?"

"Actually, we should introduce who and what we are first, ari," Galaxy told her. "Most of us already know each other, but there are a few who don't, ari." The little, blue ram then jumped to the floor. "I'll go first, ari.

"My name is Galaxy, ari. I'm a fairy from the Aries Tribe, ari. And..." She was then surrounded in a giant puff of smoke, which had many people staring in surprise. The fourteen year old with blue hair was standing in the fairy's place when the smoke cleared. "I'm also Zi-Zi and Cure Aries!" She then posed while grinning the biggest she could muster.

"EH?!" both Luna and Comet said at the same time. Everyone that already didn't know stared at her.

"I'm not sorry for not telling you," Zi-Zi replied. "The pink dove is Luna of the Columba tribe and the small, yellow panda is Comet of the Ursa Minor Tribe. They're fairies, too, but they can't do this yet." In another puff of smoke, she transformed back into Galaxy.

"Um..." Gia suddenly became a bit shy. "H-Hi, my name's Guistizia Lanayru. J-Just call me Gia. I'm Cure Taurus and I'm human, but you all keep calling me a Hylian. Why is that?"

"I'll let you borrow the newest Zelda game; you'll find out why," Rose assured the girl.

"My name's Chloe Stevens, I'm one half of Cure Gemini, and I'm human," Chloe told everyone. She then looked up towards the ceiling of the TARDIS.

"Hi, everyone!" 'Chloe' cheerfully greeted them. "I'm Stephanie Stevens, the other half of Cure Gemini, and I'm human, too!" She then went to stand on her hands.

"Oo, interesting," Tanner commented, coming really close to her. "Normally, the Gemini power picks a set of twins, but you seem to have one body with two different personalities…"

"Been like this since birth," Stephanie smiled as she pushed the eccentric man away from her using her foot. She then pointed to Anna. "That's Anna, our younger sister. Race: human."

"Hi, Ms. Dantevium," Anna waved at her friend's mother with a nervous grin on her face.

"I'm Lana Kali, Cure Cancer, and I'm a vampire." The girl dressed in frilly black introduced herself while adjusting her sunglasses.

"YOU'RE A VAMPIRE?!" Lori asked, eyes wide. Everyone ignored her.

"…" Nina looked at everyone before speaking. "I-I'm Nina. I'm Cure Leo. I'm a lion from the zoo in town." Many eyes widened at this revelation with Lori shouting out again.

"I'm Gabriella Icarus, an angel serving as the Captain of the Guard to Lord Ichos, the God of Sound, and his wife, Lady Armonia, the Goddess of Music. I am also Cure Virgo."

"Cure Libra, Time Lord. Ah've gone by many names over ma lives," Tanner told everyone while holding his hand up. "I hate ma real name, it doesn't suit me, and y'all can't pronounce it, but Ah've gone by Joanna Smith, John Doe, Anthony Green, Mary Davis, Kimberly Lee, James Hall, Lily Travis-"

"Lily Travis?!" Axl interrupted him. He, his family, and his friends all stared at the Time Lord with wide eyes.

"We'll talk later, Axl," Tanner assured them all. "Right now, call me Tanner Williams. Your turn, Demon Girl!"

"Alright then..." Eva said while still looking at the people who made the outburst and then at Tanner for making that comment. "My name's Eva Dantevium. I'm Cure Scorpio."

"And I'm her mother, Veronica," Ms. Dantevium interrupted her daughter. "I'm human, but Eva's father was a very powerful demon."

"So she's half demon?" Gabriella confirmed. Eva nodded her head shamefully. Gabriella walked over to her and placed her hands on the half-demon's shoulders. "You're not the first demon I've worked with and I highly doubt you'll be the last." Eva looked at her. "You're fine just the way you are, Eva."

Tears welled up in Eva's eyes. She quickly wiped them away.

"Um, hi," Len greeted everyone nervously from the upper level. "I'm Len Stevens. Y-You might remember me as Phoenix..." He then held up his keys. "But today, for the first time, I transformed into Cure Ophiuchus."

"You have the same last name as Chloe, Stephanie, and Anna," Lana noted. "Are you related to them?"

"Yeah," Len nodded. "They're my cousins."

"And I'm his older sister, Rose," Rose interrupted. "I'm also human and I'm Cure Sagittarius!"

"Woah, Rose, we're twins!" Len stopped her.

"Yeah, and I'm the older one."

"By two and a half minutes!"

"Best two and a half minutes of my life."

"Augh!"

Neither of them noticed that Tanner was looking at them strangely as Brach and Tommy tried to break them up.

"Axl Stevens, Cure Capricorn, the New Generation Reploid Prototype – ah, robot with feelings and free will," Axl said with a smirk on his face. Lori shouted about this, but no one paid her any heed. "I'm also Rose's and Len's adopted, older brother. Long story, not sharing." The people that didn't know the story looked at the family with weird looks, but nobody said anything. "These are our friends."

"Hi, everyone," Brach spoke first. "I'm Brach Pro and I'm human."

"I'm Tommy Hawkman. I'm also human," Tommy spoke next.

"Um, I am Huaping," the youngest-looking of the group introduced himself. "I-I am Cure Aquarius. I am a 4,000 year old urn from China."

"I've been taking care of him," the man behind him told everyone. "David Jones. I'm human. I also know some of the kids here prior to this."

"TEENAGERS," Rose, Stephanie, Len, Tommy, Brach, and Anna said at the same time.

"I'm older than you!" Axl pointed a finger at the man.

"HE'S A VASE?!" Lori pointed a finger at Huaping. Her brain could not take anymore shock and she fainted.

"Lori!" her friends gathered around her when she finally fainted.

"Ah, poor thing couldn't take it anymore," Tanner looked her over. "Ah, she'll be fine. Pop her in the chair for the time and we'll take her home first." Her friends nodded at the Time Lord and did so.

"Okay, now can we talk about the Zodiac?" Rose asked again.

"Yes, ari," Galaxy agreed. She leaped to one of the side consoles and started talking to everyone. "There are more fairy tribes than just ours, ari. With the other Tribes, there are 88 total, ari. We live with each other on the planet Constella, but it was once a harsh planet few could live on, ari.

"Over 10,000 years ago, the tribes went to war with each other for the few resources available, ari. Now, each Tribe has a special power, ari. That power makes whoever is chosen by it the tribe's champion, ari. My tribe found the first champion since the tribes were formed; the other tribes went all out in trying to find theirs, ari. In all, only twelve other tribes were successful, ari."

"Aries. Taurus. Gemini. Cancer. Leo. Virgo. Libra. Scorpio. Ophiuchus. Sagittarius. Capricorn. Aquarius. Pisces. Those were the tribes that managed to find their champions," Gabriella took over from there. "Keep in mind that only the Aries tribe has a champion from someone in their tribe; the rest of us were dragged into it without our consent. They fought each other under the orders of their respective tribes."

"It seems like yesterday you and Ah were fighting each other," Tanner reminisced. "I was only 14 years old at the time. You were a couple of dozen years past your 14,000th birthday, Gabe." The angel nodded before continuing.

"As for the other tribes, the ones that they chose to wield the power sooner or later became Kuroihoshis," Gabriella took back control of the story. "Kuroihoshis existed before champions were discovered, but the tribes always had trouble containing them. The war that was going on between them stretched their forces too thin to even think about taking them down."

"Oh no, col," Luna gasped.

"Luna, this is basic history, umi," Comet told her.

"I know, I know, but... hearing it just always shocks me, col..."

"We honestly started thinking that the war would never end," Tanner said with a dark tinge to his voice. "And then Starcy appeared. She glowed gold as she stepped onto the battlefield where the tribes were fighting each other. She looked at all of the fighting that was happening. She then raised her hand, holding a five-pointed star floating slightly above it, and said

"For those who want to stop this senseless war, follow me. I will stop this war from hurting anyone more."

The angel said it in a voice that wasn't hers, recognizable by a few, and caused the humans (excluding Ms. Dantevium) and the Reploid to look at each other in shock.

"The thirteen tribes that found their champions made peace agreements and joined with Starcy, ari. Together, they slowly defeated the other 75 tribes and took the power of each tribe, a sign of their defeat, ari," Galaxy told them. "After that, all the tribes agreed that Starcy would become the Queen of our planet, Constella, and that it would be her duty to look over all of the powers as well as the 88 tribes, ari. The powers were severed from the tribes' control and Constella became peaceful and, overtime, prospered, ari."

"The powers needed to be used again and again over the years," Tanner explained to everyone. "Gabriella, with permission from her gods, the current Aries, and Ah have always heeded the call. Sometimes, more Cures would be called upon depending on how bad the situation was. That's why the keys were made; to help with finding the chosen Zodiac members and to make it easier to activate the powers."

"When was the last time all of the Cures were assembled like this?" David asked.

"'Bout 6000 years ago," Tanner replied. "Alien invasion from another dimension. Time Lords couldn't and WOULDN'T do a thing about it, so Starcy assembled us. Anyways…

"Every single Cure was chosen for one reason or 'nother. Gabriella, Lana, Galaxy, and Ah already know and you'll have ta figure it out yourselves, alright?" All the Cures minus Lori (who was still unconscious) nodded. An alarm then went off. "Oh, ma report's ready."

"Your report?" David asked. "On what?"

"Ya see, Time Lords have thirteen lives that give them thirteen different faces. This is ma fourteenth face," Tanner explained as he looked over the information. "I took a sample of my DNA for the TARDIS to read out and…"

"Tanner?" Gabriella asked him as the silence stretched out for too long.

"Ah… Ah can hardly believe it," Tanner replied. "T-The part of my DNA that controls number of regeneration is missing… Ah-Ah don't have a limit on regenerations…" He looked at Gabriella with longing. "Please marry me."

The room became completely silent, everyone focused on the Time Lord and the angel. No one could believe what was said, especially Gabriella. Her hands covered her mouth. Before she could say anything more, Tanner continued to speak.

"Ah know that Ah asked before 8,000 years ago, and that yer Gods said no, but that was because they didn't want ya marrying a mortal." He then grabbed her hands. "But Ah have no expiration date and ma feelins for ya haven't changed at all since then."

"I…" Gabriella swallowed some saliva. She then looked towards the ceiling. Gia did the same, looking utterly paranoid. "R-Really?!" Another pause. "Oh, thank you! Thank you Lord Ichos, Lady Armonia!" She then faced Tanner again. "I will! I will marry you!"

The two laughed in joy as Tanner spun her around. He then pulled her in and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Everyone was stunned, but Rose was the first to break out of her stupor and started clapping for the two. More clapping soon followed.

It was at this point that Lori woke back up, but quickly fainted again seeing the happy, newly engaged couple kissing.

"Ya just made this old Time Lord very happy," Tanner whispered to his fiancé. "The happiest in the universe."

"And I'm the happiest angel in the universe," she whispered back. The two giggled like they were children.

Everyone was still too stunned to do anything but watch.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

* * *

Libra, eyes betraying her fear, blocked a punch coming from Virgo. She dodged another one before flipping away when the angel tried to roundhouse kick her.

Both were on a wasteland of planet. Virgo wore the same clothing, but she looked to be fourteen of age. Libra still looked the same age as always. However, both were missing the keys on their hips and their badges did not have the Z on them. In one hand, Libra held her scales. Virgo held a tambourine in her hand.

"You know I have to fight you," Virgo admitted to Libra. Libra's eyes widened with surprise. She then held up her tambourine. "From the depth of a woman's-"

Before she could finish, both Libra and Virgo were knocked off balance when a giant fist just barely missed its mark, landing between them instead. They were both thrown back with the young Time Lord landing on her back while the relatively young angel managed to use her wings to right herself. Virgo glared at the newcomer while Libra gaped.

The newcomer was a giant red and silver alien that was at least 80 feet tall. He wore a tattered red cloak around his shoulders and a red belt around his waist with a golden Zodiac symbol as a belt buckle. On his left wrist were two gold bracelets while his right arm was hidden by his cloak. Where the cloak was all bunched up was the same badge both Libra and Virgo wore.

"You…" Virgo trailed off as she jumped onto his retreating fist and started running towards him. Libra took the opportunity to escape.

She never wanted to fight in a war in the first place, much less someone else's.


	15. Taurus Runs! What Does She Learn!

Gia dropped the controller onto the ground. Her hands were shaking and tears were forming in the corner of her eyes. The TV was on, showing the credits of a video game and some last minute scenes of characters that the main character had touched throughout her journey.

"Gia, time for-"

Gia rushed for the front door, going the exact opposite direction that the kitchen was in.  
She took out her keys, already pulling the bronze one off of the keychain and started saying something he couldn't quite understand. Her father's eyes widened as he saw her rush out the front door.

"Gia!" he called after her, running towards the door.

When he looked down the street, his daughter was already gone.

Comet looked down from her bedroom window, having just seen Cure Taurus teleport away. He was worried, saying "What should I do, umi?" He then noticed that her cell phone was on her desk. Going as carefully as he could, he dialed the first number on Gia's contacts.

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

Rose's eyebrow arched, looking with confusion at her older cousin. Chloe was panting like a mad dog at her doorstep, sweating like she had just ran all the way from her house to get here.

"Chloe, how did you get here?" she asked slowly.

"Steph… ran…" Chloe managed to say.

"That's explains it," Rose commented with no emotion. "I'll get you some water."

"Than…" Chloe said as she followed her inside. As she was filling up a glass from the sink, the phone rang. Len came in and, after saying hi to Chloe, answered the phone. Rose and Chloe watched as Len's greeted whoever called. However, his eyes widened with concern. He thanked whoever called and hung up.

"Anna called," he told them. "Gia just ran away from home."

"What?!" Axl asked as he entered the room. His face was one with shock written all over it. Luna, who was sitting on his shoulder, also looked shocked at the news. "Why would she do that?!"

Len could only shake his head.

"Wait a minute," Rose realized. "It might be my fault." Everyone looked at her. "I lent her the newest Zelda game. She might have finally realized that she's not human and…"

Everyone was quiet, letting what she said sink in.

"Anna's got Ann to drive her," Len told everyone. "We should get going, too."

The family ran out the front door with Luna in tow, hoping to find the girl.

* * *

Lori was in her track clothes, running through the streets as the sky slowly got darker and darker, looking around for her friend. Her phone ran and, while not stopping, answered it.

"Lori, have you found her?" she heard Eva ask. She was breathing heavily, probably running around on the ground as she was.

"Not yet," Lori replied, sounding not nearly as out of breath as Eva. "Where are you at?"

"I see you." Lori looked around and saw that she was, as she said, behind her. Both girls hung their phones up. Lori stopped as Eva caught up to her.

"Even with demon powers, you still can't keep up with me," Lori teased.

"Sh-Shut up," Eva told her, bent over trying to catch her breath. "Didn't take you as long as I thought for you to be okay with me… you know..."

Lori only shrugged at that statement. "True, but you're my friend and that didn't change." She then looked serious. "So is Gia."

"I'll go that way," Eva pointed. She then ran off again. Lori went in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Luna, umi!" Comet greeted the pink dove as the family pulled up in front of Gia's father's beauty salon.

"Comet, col!" the pink dove flew up towards the open window as the sole blonde of the group went inside where Gia's father was pacing with worry. He then looked over to his daughter's friend's older sister at the door.

"Chloe?"

"Hi, Mr. Lanayru," Chloe greeted the older man. "We heard about Gia. What happened?"

"I-I don't know," he said truthfully. "She was playing a video game someone lent her and then I told her that dinner was ready and then… she just ran off and disappeared."

"Can I see the game she was playing?" Chloe asked him. She and Stephanie both agreed that they needed to see this game. He nodded and led her upstairs into the living room.

The Nintendo Wii that Rose lent her was plugged in and still running. The Legend of Zelda: The Link Between Dimensions was back on the start screen with the box sitting next to it. Chloe picked up the box and took a closer look at it. The box had the main character in a warrior position on it, ready to strike. Chloe gave a small smile.

Mr. Lanayru gasped as he looked over her shoulder at the game art. Chloe looked at him. It almost looked like he was about to cry. He must have noticed Chloe's look of confusion because he then wiped his eyes away.

"I-I'm sorry," he told her. "That woman on the cover… she looks so much like my deceased wife."

Chloe and Stephanie could not tell who the one in charge was when he said that. Their eyes were wide with shock. They looked at the wall where the only family picture was. They both saw that, if the box art had been a bit more realistic, it would have looked exactly like a younger version of the woman with a young Gia in her lap.

"I know I sound insane right now, but can I borrow a picture of your wife when she was young?"

* * *

Gia was sitting in front of her mother's gravestone. Her knees were drawn up, she shook from the quiet sobs that racked her entire frame. Tears fell from her eyes at a steady rate. Her shoes and sweatpants were dirty from the mud on the ground.

From the entrance of the cemetery, Stephanie, Len, and Comet spotted her. Stephanie and Chloe traded places as the group walked up to her slowly. Hearing their footsteps, Gia quickly turned to face them.

"Go away," she told them before they could say anything.

"Gia-"

"I said go away!" she repeated. She hugged herself tighter. "My ears are pointy. I could hear Gabriella's gods talking. How would you even feel when you find out that your mother isn't even from this world?! I'm a freak!"

"Then your dad must be an even bigger freak," Chloe told her. "Because he married a pointy-eared woman that could hear the gods talk and wasn't from this world and had a daughter with her."

"My dad's not a freak!" Gia yelled at her, standing up to her full height. There were still tears in her eyes.

"Then neither are you," Chloe told her, her gaze holding just as strong. Gia's gaze weakened until it was slightly less negative than it was when they found her. She sat back down on the ground in front of the grave.

"I barely even remember her..." she muttered to herself. She didn't even bother wiping the tears from her face.

Len could clearly see it marked as Lindyn Lanayru. He sat down next to her and looked at the grave.

"I met your mother once," he remembered. Gia's eyes widened. "I was in Hyrule, the Temple of Time. She was with her twin brother and a couple of her friends. She was a good with a sword and shield. Good with a combat knife, too."

"She even helped me accept Stephanie as someone and not a problem," Chloe chimed in.

Gia looked at both of them. Comet's eyes were very wide as well. "You were… in Hyrule?" Len nodded. "How?"

"We used to go to all sorts of different video game worlds," Chloe answered. "Hyrule was one of them." She looked over to Comet. The fairy was too stunned to even make a sound.

"H-how?" she asked.

"Your mother was a good woman," Chloe didn't answer her question. She then handed Gia a picture. She looked at it to see her mother on her wedding day in her wedding dress. "You're a good person, too. That's all that matters."

Gia wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "Thanks."

"Let's get you home," Len got up before offering her a hand. "Your dad is worried sick about you." Chloe got out her phone and texted Anna and her cousins before walking with the others out of the graveyard.

"Wait right there, Pretty Cure," a voice they all recognized stopped them. Lyra was there with some woman dressed in blue and gray clothes with gray hair holding a Constellation power. "I'll let you take it from here, Delphinus." She then disappeared.

"Let me put things this way," Delphinus told them before saying anything else. "Libra was supposed to die in that last battle and Ophiuchus wasn't supposed to have a new champion. Camerina is furious." She then pushed the power away from her. "I want to beat her to the punch."

A small, unsuspecting fly got hit with the power. It became surrounded in an evil aura. It started growing to immense sizes, becoming a mutated, green fly within the span of a few seconds.

"KUROIHOSHI MUSCA!" it yelled.

"HEY!" a voice yelled from behind the group. Everyone turned to see Anna, Eva, and Lori run up to them. Lori looked pissed. "THEY JUST HAD A HEART TO HEART MOMENT AND YOU RUINED IT!"

"How did you get here so fast?" Chloe asked them.

"Anna figured she was here," Eva told them. "She texted us to meet her here."

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" Lori yelled. "AND MY GOD IS THAT THING DISGUSTING!"

"You three take the Kuroihoshi," Len told them. "Chloe, Stephanie, you're with me against Delphinus."

Everyone took out their key rings. They all took off the bronze keys and threw the rings into the air. Magic arrays appeared front of each of them. They help up the keys next to their faces. "Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" They pushed the keys into the keyholes that appeared in the center and just off center of the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays broke apart into many pieces.

Gia's sandals started teleporting off of her feet, replaced with a red light that traveled so far up her legs. She clicked her feet together, throwing the red light off of them. Her boots were revealed at that moment. As her blue jeans were slowly teleported away, her boots were revealed more and more until they were fully revealed.

Red light started teleporting onto her hands and arms as well. It started with the creation her arm warmers and her set of beads. As those continued to form, her sleeves started to teleport onto her as well. They continued to form until they were done at mid arm.

She then hugged herself for a moment. She suddenly threw her arms off of her body, the remainder of her clothes came off of her in a flash of red only to be replaced by new one. She was now adorned in her kimono, ribbon, and skirt.

Gia's hair started turning red from the roots and continued going to the tips, lengthening it slightly in the process. Red light teleported onto her forehead, creating her tiara. Red light also teleported onto her neck and the middle of her long, pointed ears at the same time, creating her choker and earrings.

Chloe/ Stephanie threw her short hair in front of her by bending over, creating a gust of wind and bathing her hair in a bright, green light. When she went to straighten her back, a huge gust of wind tinted green blew around her. When the wind dispersed, the two of them were sanding back to back, their clothing bright green lights. Their hair was already stylized and colored.

The two then linked arms and started spinning around. The wind was absorbed into their outfits, causing them to suddenly lose the bright light and create their outfits. The two stopped spinning around and pushed their arms out to the side. The light was thrown off in an instant, revealing arm warmers and two rows of beads.

The two then clicked their heels together. Their boots and socks appeared.

Black fire ignited in both of Eva's hands after she snapped her fingers. As she spun around, the fire quickly covered her arms and then her entire body. The fire first started dispersing around her feet. As the fire quickly disappeared, her boots then socks were revealed.

The fire from her hands went away next. On her arms were her arm warmers and beads. The fire around her face also disappeared. It then ebbed away from her neck and ears, revealing her accessories. The fire then went down her hair, stylizing it.

Eva posed like a character from a cartoon powering up. After a second of doing that, the rest of the black fire was expelled off of her body. Her Cure outfit was what was left of the flames.

Snow started coming off of Lori's hair at the tips, turning it teal. When it reached her roots, the hair stylized itself. The snow circled the point that it was to be tied and created her scrunchie. Some of the snow went to ears and formed the earrings while the rest went around her neck to create the choker.

Snow then started coming off of her clothes. As it did so, her clothes were being replaced by new clothes covered in aqua green light. When the top half was done, the light burst off the clothing revealing the top part of an aqua green, sleeveless dress that had turquoise ruffles where the arms came out and the cut off bottom. Her clothes continued to turn into snow, revealing a skirt. When it was done forming, the aqua green light came off to reveal the rest of her outfit.

The snow kept coming off of her running shorts, revealing the teal tights underneath that she always wore. When the snow got to her shoes, they also disappeared as snow, but left behind high heels on her feet covered in the same aqua green light. When the light came off, her Cure shoes were revealed. The snow that came off then came onto her arms, creating arm warmers and the three rows of beads.

Silver ribbons came up from the ground underneath of Len. They lifted him up slightly above the ground as they wrapped themselves around his body in the form of clothes. The ribbons briefly turned into a silver light, replacing his normal clothes with his Cure ones. Another ribbon made its way through the belt loops on his shorts, creating his belt and belt buckle. More ribbons came over his shoulders and started forming his long vest after a flash of light.

Len held out his hands and watched the silver ribbons intertwined themselves between his fingers and around his palms. One silver flash of light later and the ribbons turned into gloves. The ribbons then started going around his feet and ankles, completely covering his shoes. When he touched down onto the ground, the flash of silver light turned them into boots and socks.

Silver ribbons started surrounding his hair, his earlobes, and his neck. In brief flashes of light, his hair was stylized, he had his accessories, and he didn't have his glasses.

All of them placed the key rings on their right hips and placed their hands on the left side of their chests. When their hands were removed, their badges appeared in their respective colors.

"The bull, charging through this dimension!" Gia yelled out loud, gripping her hand, punching forward. She posed to match her constellation. "Cure Taurus!" Red light gleamed off of her badge for a moment.

"The twins of the ever-changing wind!" Chloe and Stephanie said at the same time, facing each other, grasping each other's' hands. They then went back to back, striking the pose to match their constellation. "Cure Gemini!" Wind blew off of them for a moment.

"The scorpion, controlling the dark flames of hell!" Eva said. She snapped her fingers, a small, black flame on her finger tip. She blew it out and then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Scorpio!" Black flames started burning behind her.

"The fish, swimming beneath the frozen oceans!" Lori said while posing as if she was actually swimming. She then posed to match her constellation. "Cure Pisces!" Snow swirled around her for a moment.

"The snake bearer of life and death!" Len said with his palms pressed together. He then spun and posed to match his constellation. "Cure Ophiuchus!" Silver ribbons popped out of the ground behind him.

Both Gemini and Ophiuchus jumped towards Delpinus while the other three started fighting the giant, mutant, fly monster. The Kuroihoshi flew up into the air while yelling "KUROIHOSHI MUSCA!" Pisces jumped into the air and grabbed onto on of its hairy legs. She let out a string of ows before letting go. She landed on the ground and started scraping the green goo off of her arms as they melted away at her arm warmers.

"I'm not touching that thing," Taurus said as she backed away from Pisces.

"That Kuoihoshi is disgusting!" Scorpio agreed. She snapped her fingers, manifesting a ball of black fire to her hand. She threw it as hard as she could at the Kuroihoshi. It hit the underside of the monster, causing it to moan in pain.

"KUROIHOSHI MUSCA!" it yelled right before spewing out a green goop at the three. They all dodged it, watching as the ground where they were just standing melt away. The three looked at each other and all thought the same thing at the same time.

 _This is going to be tough._

Blue Gemini flipped over and went to kick Delphinus. She dodged to the side before Pink Gemini went to punch her. She spun around as Ophiuchus flew in with a flying side kick. As she spun back towards him, her hand brought up some water. When his foot was inside the water, it suddenly froze.

Ophiuchus suddenly found himself crashing into a tombstone with Gemini yelling his Cure name. He sat up, seeing that his right foot was encased in ice. Taurus landed next to him, helping him sit up as Gemini fought Delphinus and Pisces and Scorpio were busy with the newest Kuroihoshi.

They couldn't get close enough to do any significant damage to the fly monster covered in fly stomach acid. Scorpio was really getting into the fight and her demonic wings and tail appeared. She giggled as she threw her fire at the Kuroihoshi. It sizzled against the acid, but ultimately did no damage to it. Both she and Pisces then placed their hands on their badges. Black and a

Black flames came out from Scorpio's chest and started making a ring around her. She then lifted the ring so that it was above her head. "Scorpio Underworld!" She then threw the ring at the giant fly.

Pisces held her hands together, a mini snowstorm brewing in her palms. "Pisces Blizzard!" She started spinning around and around in a circle. Absurd amounts of snow started swirling all around her and the graveyard.

Scorpio's attack, while it only grazed it, did get one of its wings. The wing caught on fire, black flames consumed it causing it to fall to the ground and get caught in the blizzard that started covering it in snow. The acid quickly dissolved the frozen water, but the Kuroihoshi was struggling to get back to its feet.

"If someone could get a good attack in..." Ophiuchus trailed off. He then suddenly remembered what Libra did earlier that week. He then looked at his still frozen leg, then over to Gemini. Blue Gemini was still trying to land a blow on Delphinus while Pink Gemini hand was frozen onto the ground, trying to pry it off.

"Taurus," he said. "Clap your hands on the badge two times."

"What?"

"Trust me."

Taurus nodded with confidence and did as he said. The Z then came off and floated in front of her, glowing red as it did so. By some instinct, she grabbed it with her left hand, the red light covering her hand and a little bit of her arm, forming into a solid object.

"Taurus Gauntlet!" she cried out as she opened her fist and brought her hand up next to her face. A magenta glove missing the fingertips and the openings outlined with gold replaced her white arm warmer. Her orange-beaded bracelet was also gone. The second knuckles on her fingers were covered pointed gold in the shape of a diamond. A gold piece with a red outline was protecting the back of her hand. It was held in place by a red, metallic Taurus symbol outlined in gold and a wide, gold bracelet on top of where the eyes would be. The bracelet had twelve jewels set into it. The gold on the back had a ruby star on the back of it.

"From the vastness of the universe, let my feelings soar to a new world!" She held her fist up to the sky. The star-shaped ruby started glowing red. Red light started coming out of it and worked its way down her body. She was then glowing red with her fist glowing brighter than the rest of her body. A red, magical array similar to the one that was behind Libra appeared behind her. She then got into a fighting stance.

"Pretty Cure, Dimensional Punch!"

She rushed forward, disappearing in a flash of red light along with the magical array behind her. She reappeared a few seconds later on the other side of the Kuroihoshi, posing as if she had already punched and with the array now in front of her.

She turned around and stuck her left hand up in the air. She then moved it downwards in an arc, following the path of the array behind her. She stopped when the scale reached the Taurus symbol. "Zodiac!" She then posed with her left fist.

The Kuroihoshi started glowing red before exploding, not even having a chance to scream out its name one last time. When the smoke cleared, the Musca power was left next to the fly it had taken over. The fly quickly got up and flied away. Taurus then blinked.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?!"

"Augh!" Blue Gemini cried out as her body was covered in water. The water then froze, leaving her struggling to move with the frost on it.

"Looks like I'm done for the day," Delphinus said as she jumped in front of the panda fairy sneaking towards the power. Comet yelped in surprise. "I'll be taking that." She then grabbed the power before disappearing.

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Pisces yelled at Taurus, pointing at the Taurus Gauntlet as everything around them started repairing themselves. Gemini and Ophiuchus were freed from the ice and were able to walk over to the others.

"Didn't you hear her?" Anna asked, walking up to the others. "It's the Taurus Gauntlet."

"I saw Libra used a set of scales once," Ophiuchus explained. "I think we all have a weapon of some kind."

Before anyone could say anything else, sirens could be heard. Scorpio grabbed Anna while Pisces picked up Comet before all jumped/ flew away from the scene. The police showed up, not seeing anything wrong.

* * *

"Oh, Gia!" Mr. Lanayru hugged his daughter. She hugged him back just as hard while the others stood a bit away from the doorway. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

"I'm sorry, Dad," Gia apologized.

Her father then looked into her eyes. "What got into you? Running away isn't like you at all." His daughter looked to the ground, not saying anything. "You look almost exactly like your mother, you know that?" Gia eyes looked up at him in shock. "You did get my nose, though."

"Dad..." Gia trailed off.

He then thanked the group for finding his daughter before leading her inside. As they did so, a van pulled up and Rose, Axl, and Luna came out of it.

"Did you find her, col?" Luna asked.

"She's fine, umi," Comet assured Luna. "But Camerina has found another partial match, umi."

"Oh no," Rose commented. She, Axl, and Luna looked at each other and then the others with worry.

Inside the living area above the beauty salon, Gia's father dug his way through a big, old box labeled 'Lindyn's Treasures' filled with what Gia thought were somewhat strange objects. He then took out a photo album and a beautifully decorated yet broken-in-half flute.

"This was your mother's greatest treasure," her father explained to her. "She would've wanted you to have it."

When he placed the two halves of the flute into her hands, Gia could immediately tell that it was special somehow. She didn't know why or how, she just did.

 _"_ _I'm Gabriella Icarus, an angel serving as the Captain of the Guard to Lord Ichos, the God of Sound, and his wife, Lady Armonia, the Goddess of Music,"_ Gia remembered. _Could she be able to repair this flute?_ She made a mental note to talk to the angel about it later.

"I loved your mother so much, Gia," her father continued. "I was devastated when she passed, but that shouldn't have prevented you from knowing about her. I'm sorry."

Gia said nothing. Instead, she hugged her father. She then sat beside him, listening to his stories about her mother.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_

 **I would like to note that I will be going to Japan for a summer study abroad and will most likely not update this story for two months. Thank you for understanding.**


	16. Capricorn Meets Her! Things Go Wrong!

**I apologize for the long wait, everyone. This last year has been very busy for me. Since I will soon be done with college, I will be able to start working not only on fanfictions again, but also get caught up on a lot of my hobbies. Thank you for waiting and enjoy the new chapter of Pretty Cure Zodiac.**

* * *

 **A Brighter Day (Opening)**

 _I'm ready with my back to the wind  
And I will fly higher than I ever have been  
I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_  
 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

 _There was a time when I was lost and alone_  
 _I couldn't find what I was wanting the most_  
 _Looking around for anybody else to show the way_  
 _I wondered how the light could ever break through_  
 _When I had built the highest wall around me_  
 _Then I soon realized it was up to my heart..._  
 _To spread my wings and fly again._

 _So here I go!_  
 _I have got my back to the wind_  
 _And I will fly higher than I ever have been_  
 _I'll follow all my dreams, my destiny is waiting for me_

 _I am on my way, heading for a sunny blue sky_  
 _And all my past worries, I will leave them behind_  
 _Now it is time for the beginning of the Zodiac_

 _Pretty Cure Zodiac!_

* * *

Saturday, June 25, 2011.

Iris was waiting outside of the new cafe that opened that weekend, waiting for the girl she saved twice to appear. She tugged on the summertime, green scarf that she borrowed from her littlest sister's room as well as a nice green, summer-patterned dress that his little-but-older-than-the-other-sister had. She was nervous, hoping to explain what was going on, but even more so wanting to properly meet her.

"Are you... Capricorn?"

She yelped. Turning around. Iris hadn't even noticed mystery girl walking up behind her. She was dressed up nice as well.

"O-Or is it Axl?" she asked. "That's what Len called you, right?"

"Call me Iris!" she replied quickly. She then explained with "W-when I look like this, I'm called Iris."

"Oh..." mystery girl replied. "I'm, uh, Katherine. Um... do you want to go inside?"

"Yeah..."

The two went inside the brand new café. The place looked nice enough, much more girly than Iris was expecting anyways with white lace tablecloths and butterflies painted on the walls. There was a wooden trellis separating the kitchen from the rest of the restaurant. It was covered in fake flowers and vines. The whole place kind of reminded Iris of one of those stereotypical flower gardens with an area to drink tea and have cookies and cake.

The two were guided to a table and they looked at the menu. The awkwardness between them was palatable. After they ordered their food (two specials consisting of sandwiches, house chips, and espressos (Iris's being a regular one with Katherine's being non-caffeinated, low fat iced espresso), they sat in awkward silence for a couple of minutes. Iris could not look her in the eye. Finally, she got up the courage to talk to Katherine.

"You… won't tell anyone, will you?" she asked.

"No!" Katherine replied as quickly as she could. "I-I would never tell anyone; not after all you've done for me…"

"I'm j-just doing my job," Iris told her. _In more ways than one_ , Axl thought to himself.

"S-Still, thank you… for rescuing me." She looked down at her lap.

"N-no problem…" Iris replied.

The two sat in uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes. Chloe sat outside on the patio facing the street, watching the two painfully interact with each other. On either side of her were two of her cousins and her younger sister, each of them hiding behind a newspaper. She found the whole situation painful. Through the compact mirror she sat on the table, she could see and hear Stephanie laughing in the reflection.

"I don't even think they can see us, guys," Chloe told her family.

"But Katherine knows me," Len argued, peeking over the newspaper.

"And Axl knows all of us," Rose added, glancing around the newspaper she was holding.

Anna lowered the newspaper before answering with "I'm actually reading an article. Did you know that there's going to be a fashion show in next month and that they're looking for models of all ages?"

"No, that sounds like fun, col!" Luna commented, hopping from behind Rose's paper to Anna's head.

"You four are impossible," Chloe sighed. Stephanie then took her place and started laughing towards the sky.

"So..." Katherine finally started talking again. "Is... Iris, Axl, or Capricorn your real name?"

"None of them!" Iris answered a little too quickly. "I-I mean, I'd rather not say... "

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," Katherine reassured him. "I-I mean my family just moved into town so my little sister can start college."

"You moved in at a terrible time," Iris smirked.

"No kidding," Katherine agreed. They both chuckled about that fact a little bit. "At least I'll be leaving for Tokyo at the end of the summer..."

"Why are you going to Japan?"

"I-it's embarrassing..." Katherine said.

"It can't be that bad," Iris insisted. She faked a horrified look. "You're not getting betrothed, are you?!"

"No no no!" Katherine waved off. "It's nothing even close to that! I'm... I'm actually going to get my PhD in robotics."

"Wow," Iris said. She had a big smile on her face. "That's really cool!" Inside, Axl was actually panicking, thinking _SHE WANTS TO BE A ROBOTICIST?! WHY IN THE WORLD DID SHE HAVE TO BE A PERSON INTO ROBOTS?!_ "I don't have a degree in anything, so I think what you're doing is really amazing!"

"Really?" Katherine asked.

"Yeah!" Iris faked enthusiasm perfectly. "I bet you'll be able to bring robotics to a new level someday."

"Your food," the waiter came over and handed them their food. The two thanked them before they took a bite of the sandwiches.

Katherine started gagging almost immediately, spitting her bite back onto her plate. She tried to wash it down with the espresso, but immediately spit that back up, too. Iris just watched this all take place, not even chewing the sandwich she was physically unable to taste. She watched as Katherine ran towards the bathroom as fast as she could. He placed his bite of food into a napkin and carefully placed it back onto the plate along with his sandwich. "Check please."

On the patio outside, Iris's family was not fairing much better. Len was bent over, clutching his stomach. Anna was passed out on the ground. Stephanie's looked greener than the leaves on a tree. Rose was foaming at the mouth. Luna screamed "Everyone!" as ambulance noises could be heard coming around the corner.

It didn't take much time before the entire cafe was closed down. On the window was posted that all of the food was contaminated and was not fit for human consumption. Iris counted her lucky stars that she was not human in the strictest sense. Everyone there was treated for food poisoning with Katherine being the first done so. They tried to check Iris over, but she insisted that she was fine and continued to pull away from them.

"Do you... want to go get a hot dog instead?" Iris suggested.

"Yeah," Katherine wheezed.

* * *

Iris and Katherine were sitting on a park bench, the latter finishing her hot dog. Katherine then looked down at the ground. Iris wondered what she was thinking about. She didn't have to wait long.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," she started with. "B-but, how are you able to change... your appearance? You can be male and female and you wear different clothes-"

"Oh, uh," Iris interrupted her. "Capricorn's powers and outfits are all magic. As for the rest..." Iris thought for a moment, deciding to go for a lie based on the truth. "I don't remember why or how, but I can copy the appearance and abilities of other...s and use them to fight. Iris and Axl are two of them, that much I remember."

"You... have amnesia?" Katherine asked.

"Yeah," Iris confirmed. "But it's okay. I'll never get my memories back, but I have people I can call friends and family here and they're helping make new memories. And I got to meet you." Iris felt that her smile was real. She also saw that Katherine was blushing. Realizing what she said, she looked away embarrassed, not being able to blush herself.

"Oh my gosh they are perfect for each other," Stephanie said as she looked through the binoculars that the family brought with them.

"Aren't they?" Rose smiled. She took a picture using a long range zoom lens. "Perfect." Len rolled his eyes at his twin sister.

"Why did she take a picture, col?" Luna asked from the tree branch above the family.

Before any one of the family could answer, they saw Rose glare at them with a look that said "If you know what's good for you, you won't say a word."

"For fun," Chloe (having switched spots with Stephanie), Anna, and Len said at the same time with worry laced in their voices.

"I don't believe any of you, col," Luna told them all.

"A hundred bucks they get married," Rose said aloud, continuing to take pictures.

"You're on!" Anna pointed at her older cousin.

"Anyways," Iris tried to get them back from the awkwardness. "I know you won't, but please don't tell anyone about what I told you, okay?"

Suddenly, there was an explosion on the other side of the park. The group of cousins, siblings, and fairy were closer to the explosion and started running towards it quicker than the Reploid and the human that was out of the loop. Iris's eyes widened in the direction of the explosion while Katherine's eyes landed on her.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I don't know, but it's nothing good," Iris replied. She then looked at her. "I have to go. Please, just keep this between us."

Suddenly, there was an explosion nearby the two. Every random person started running away from the scene. From the smoke of the explosion, Iris could see Hercules walking out towards them. She pushed Katherine behind her.

"Hey, nice to see you again, Ursa Major," he greeted the scared teenager. "But you don't have that power anymore, do you?"

"A Kuroihoshi straight ahead, col!" Luna yelled out to the others as she flew.

"KUROIHOSHI MONOCEROS!" the black, unicorn monster screamed. Steam blew out of its nostrils.

"Len, Chloe, Stephanie, let's do this!" Rose called them to action as she took out her keys. The other two bodies nodded. They all pulled off the bronze keys off and threw the gold rings and extra silver keys into the air. They spun rapidly until becoming their magic arrays. The three held their keys up next to their faces with Chloe holding one in each hand.

"Pretty Cure, Zodiac!" They pushed the keys into the keyholes that appeared in the center and just off center of the arrays. "Star Power!" They turned the keys. The arrays broke apart into many pieces.

Rose had five rings made of rainbow light pass over her arms, legs, and body, changing all of her clothes sans her necklace to her Pretty Cure outfit. A rainbow light started traveling through her hair, changing it to pink pony tails and giving her accessories to match.

Wind blew from Chloe, bathing her hair in a bright green light. Suddenly, wind colored green blew ferociously around her. When it disappeared, the amount of bodies in that area increased by one and both were in their Pretty Cure attire with matching hairstyles.

Len held out his hands and watched the silver ribbons intertwined themselves between his fingers and around his palms. One silver flash of light later and the ribbons turned into gloves. The ribbons then started going around his feet and ankles, completely covering his shoes. When he touched down onto the ground, the flash of silver light turned them into boots and socks.

All four placed the key ring with keys on their right hip. They then placed both hands on the left side of their chests and quickly removed them, their badges appearing where their hands once were.

"The archer, dancing with all the colors!" she shouted out. She struck a ballet pose before getting into one that matched her constellation. "Cure Sagittarius!" Rainbow glitter suddenly busted out from behind her, falling to the ground.

"The twins of the ever-changing wind!" the two girls said at the same time, facing each other, grasping each other's' hands. They then went back to back, striking the pose to match their constellation. "Cure Gemini!" Wind blew off of them for a moment.

"The snake bearer of life and death!" Len said with his palms pressed together. He then spun and posed to match his constellation. "Cure Ophiuchus!" Silver ribbons popped out of the ground behind him.

"Let's do this!" Sagittarius said. All four rushed towards the Kuroihoshi.

"I don't want any power," Katherine told Hercules. Iris could feel her shaking with fear and her voice trembled a bit when she spoke, but she said it with so much conviction Axl couldn't help but think _Wow_. "I-I had a taste of power and it made me go mad. I hated it. If I have to hurt people to get power or recognition, then I don't want it at all!"

Iris was so stunned that she accidentally transformed back into Axl. "Katherine…"

"Too bad," Hercules replied. "Camerina wants you to come back. She wants you to become Andromeda."

"I won't!"

"And I'll protect her," Axl told Hercules, holding one of his pistols at the human man. "Even if I have to be a Maverick to do it, I won't let you do whatever you want to others." He fired his pistol several times, making sure that he wouldn't hit his enemy and only cause him to back up. His plan worked, Hercules jumping backwards after every shot. It gave Axl enough time to pull out his keys, tear off the bronze one, throw the golden ring into the air, and insert the key into the yellow, magical array with Capricorn's symbol in the middle of it while saying "Pretty Cure, Zodiac! Star Power!" Axl said as he turned the key. The yellow array broke apart into many pieces.

Lightning then struck him. However, it did not damage Axl (or the too-close-for-comfort Katherine for that matter), but instead left him with electricity coursing along the outside of him and with his armor on. Electricity surged in and out of his body at different points. It first started with his head. His helmet was replaced by a white headband-like part with a giant, gold star in the middle of it connecting his two audio receptors. The tips of his hair were blonde, fading to his natural red quickly. The electricity caused the back park to spike into a star shape. A small amount caused a yellow choker to form on his neck that doubled as the separation of his armor and body suit.

Electricity then poured into his armor and body suit. His lower and leg Reploid armor looked similar, although everything that was black became yellow and the red stripes turned to purple. The screws on his hips were replaced by golden Capricorn symbols. His upper armor changed so that it no longer had the giant core in the middle of it and two purple stripes running through the yellow metal from the middle of his lower chest to over his shoulders. His gauntlets changed to skin-tight yellow gloves on his hands. His body suit changed from gray to pure white.

He placed the key ring on his right hip between two of the symbols. He then placed both hands on the left side of her chest. When he removed them, his badge appeared in a flash of yellow light.

"The goat, sailing through the storming seas!" Axl said while pointing towards the nearest, far away ocean. He then struck a pose that matched his constellation. "Cure Capricorn!" Lightning then struck the ground behind him. Hercules then charged at him.

"Hyah!" Ophiuchus cried out as he threw a right hook into the Kuroihoshi's jaw. It reared back, screaming "KUROIHOSHI MONOCEROS!" Hooves kicked him back into a nearby building, leaving a crater in the side. Gemini jumped into the air, one on either side, and went to kick the Kuroihoshi. The horse structure of the monster didn't allow it to be able to be able to defend itself, so both girls' kicks hit it on either side. Sagittarius then slid in front of the Kuroihoshi, placing her hands over her badge briefly. Pink light shone off it.

Sagittarius lifted up her right hand. Light that was all different kinds of colors came to her hand to form a sphere as the cloth hanging from her wrist was glowing rainbow. She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky.

"Sagittarius Burst!" She brought down her hand. Her index and middle finger were pointing at the monster while her thumb was pointing at the sky.

"KUROIHOSHI MONOCEROS!" it cried. A dark energy poured into its horn. It bent down and aimed at Sagittarius's attack. The energy left the horn and collided with the pink Cure's attack.

"What?!" Sagittarius was so shocked that she didn't put more force into her own attack. The Kuroihoshi's attack overwhelmed hers and she was shot back several yards into a bench that broke when she landed on it. The two Gemini met each other way above the Kuroihoshi. They placed their hands onto their badges, a green light shining off it once they removed their hands.

The two Geminis went back to back, spinning around while the wind whipped towards them and then condensed between their hands in front of them, turning it into a green ball of light. Grasping one hand, they used the other to bring the balls above them and merge it into one. The two then brought it down in front of them.

"Gemini Twister!" they yelled out at the same time.

The light that Gemini held out in front of them suddenly turned into a green-colored twister heading straight for the monstrous unicorn. The force of their attack kept them afloat in the air, even more so when the Kuroihoshi was trapped in the middle of it. Blue Gemini smirked. Pink Gemini noticed that there was more energy building up in the horn.

"KUROIHOSHI MONOCEROS!" it cried out as the energy it built up in its horn expanded outwards. The green tornado destabilized in an instant. The two started falling down towards the ground when the Kuroihoshi jumped off the ground to kick them with its front hooves.

Capricorn blocked another swing from Hercules, making sure to take the fight as far away from Katherine as he could. Every time the man threw a punch, he dodged, blocked, or parried the blow. While he did not do so as often, his mantra that he lived by for his whole life repeating in his head the entire time, every one of his punches were blocked as well.

Capricorn's wings extended from his back and the jets on the sides of his legs fired up. He jumped into the air and used his new height to kick Hercules. Hercules blocked, but was pushed back several feet. Capricorn then placed both of his hands over his badge, a yellow light shining off of it. Capricorn crossed his hands above his head. His two guns appeared in his hands. He aimed it at the man. Lightning surged from his hands and into the barrel of the gun.

"Capricorn Bullet!" He pulled the trigger to many times to count in a second, many shots of little lightning bolts heading towards Hercules. He did not even attempt to block them since they seem to do little to no damage to him. From what he remembered from their last fight, he didn't expect anything different. However, it did allow him to yell out "Katherine, run!"

Before he could react, he saw Hercules ran his way underneath him and over towards Katherine. He grabbed Katherine around the waist and hoisted her onto his shoulder. He then started walking away. Capricorn's eyes widened in fear.

 _"Ah know you don't want ta hurt anyone,"_ he remembered Tanner telling him after he had dropped everyone else off from the group talk.

 _"I don't,"_ he agreed. _"How can I someone without harming anyone?"_

 _"We've harmed many people in our day,"_ Tanner answered. _"By trying to save someone, we will have to hurt someone else. Ya've done the same, destroying Mavericks so that humans and Reploids can live in peace."_ Axl didn't say anything to refute it, allowing the words sink in. _"The Powers of the Stars, while most have the ability to destroy, are powers that were originally meant to heal and create."_ He then looked at the ceiling of the TARDIS. _"What we do with our powers is up to us."_

"Katherine, I'm going to save you," Capricorn swore.

"I know you will. I believe in you."

Her words gave him courage. Her words gave him strength. Her words gave him resolve. He dismissed his guns and clapped his hands twice on his badge. The Z came off and started floating in front of him, glowing yellow the entire time. It transformed into an object.

"Capricorn Club!" he cried out as he grabbed the lower part of his weapon with both of his hands. It transformed into a baseball bat. The bat itself was completely gold. On the end cap of it was the Capricorn Symbol in yellow. On the grip of the bat was a giant, yellow bow. On either side of the bow were gems encrusted into it, six above and six below, each a color of a different Cure. The knob of the bat was in the shape of a star.

"From the sound of thunder, let the strike of lightning hit true!" He held up the bat to the sky. A lightning bolt hit it, causing it to become a giant version of itself. A yellow magical circle appeared behind him. It looked like the one that he transformed with but had all of the Zodiac symbols on the outside of it with Aries being at the top.

"Pretty Cure, Electric Charge!"

He swung the giant club down as hard as he could, concentrating on saving Katherine. The club landed right on top of her and Hercules with the latter trying to block it. Lightning struck down on top of the two of them. Katherine was, to her slight surprise, okay. Hercules, however, was sparking with electricity, paralyzed. Katherine ran away from the mythologically-named villain.

The club then went back to its original size. He held up the Capricorn Club with one hand and held it above his head. He then moved it downwards in an arc, following the path of the array behind her. He stopped when the scale reached the Capricorn symbol. "Zodiac!" He then posed with the bat resting on his shoulder. Hercules yelled out in pain before being engulfed in a giant explosion. When the smoke cleared, there was no sign that Hercules was even there.

"Aaah!" Capricorn turned around as fast as he could to see that someone new had arrived on the scene without someone noticing. He pointed his bat to where Katherine ran.

He saw Katherine being held by a woman dressed in purple Victorian style clothing. She held the human up against her body by the chin while her other hand was holding an umbrella over her head. Them woman had a sinister smirk on her face. Katherine looked scared.

"Let her go!" Capricorn demanded.

"Au contraire," the newcomer replied, running a nail menacingly down Katherine's cheek. Capricorn grimaced. "So she already had the Ursa Major power before? Let's give these powers a test drive." She placed her umbrella in the crook of her neck before one of the powers appeared in her hand. She then proceeded to shove it into Katherine's chest.

She cried out in pain, tears started to stream down her face. "A-Axl, help me!"

"Katherine!" he called out. He abandoned his bat and, using the boosters on his legs to glide over to where she was standing. Desperately, he reached his hand out to her. With one eye shut in pain, Katherine reached out towards him with a shaky hand. The woman just smirked more.

Sagittarius, Gemini, Ophiuchus, and Anna watched as Luna trapped the power in a crystal. It was then teleported away. Luna gave them what a bird would considered a thumbs up. The group then heard the scream.

"What was that, col?!" Luna asked.

"That sounded like Katherine," Ophiuchus replied. The group ran towards the sound as fast as they could. When they got to where they left Axl and Katherine, they saw Capricorn reaching for Katherine, the latter being held by a woman that made Ophiuchus and Luna gasp.

"Camerina," they whispered.

The two females disappeared right when Capricorn was about to grasp Katherine's hand. He fell to the ground. His armor and hair glowed yellow before going back to his armored state. Axl got to his hands and knees. He then punched the ground in anger while tears of coolant starting coming out of his eyes.

"I couldn't save her…" he repeated over and over again, sadness laced in his voice. "Katherine…" He broke down completely.

"We'll save her," Pink Gemini went over to the crying Reploid. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're going to find out where this woman went with her, and we'll go save them."

"I know where they went."

Everyone looked at Ophiuchus with shock.

"That woman's name is Camerina. Her hideout is in the Subspace."

"What's subspace, col?" Luna asked when everyone else gasped.

* * *

 **You Are a Star (1st Ending)**

 _It's 5AM, now it's time to get out of bed  
Another day is ready to start again  
The shower's running, the coffee is burning  
Gotta get out the door in time for the train_

 _Cell phone is ringing, the message is coming in_  
 _The traffic's jammed, now let's see who's gonna win_  
 _Yeah, the game is on, if you are strong and you wanna play..._

 _No one said the race would be just a piece of cake_  
 _Work your way to the top_  
 _You've got to put in the time, pay your dues_  
 _The corner office is there, waiting for you_

 _You, yeah, you are a star_  
 _There's no mistaking you will make it to the end_  
 _I know you've got what it takes to believe in yourself_  
 _You will never give in_  
 _You're a star_  
 _No one else in the world could replace the way you smile The way you look when you're inspired_  
 _I know you will shine no matter what you will face_  
 _Cause you are a star_


End file.
